A real doctor reacts to the multi-stage Xenomorph implantation in the Alien franchise. First introduced in Ridley Scott’s iconic 1979 Alien movie, the Xenomorphs are an iconic extraterrestrial species that serve as the antagonists in the Alien and Alien vs. Predator franchises.
Their implantation process involves a facehugger being attached to a host’s face to drop an embryo, which then develops inside the host and erupts as a chestburster before maturing into an adult. Usually, this is done by entering the host’s airway.
In a recent YouTube post, Dr. Mikhail “Mike” Varshavski, D.O., of Doctor Mike, a board-certified family medicine doctor in New York, reacts to iconic scenes from Alien. Dr. Varshavski pointed out how the film’s egg opening sequences reminded him of “cervical ripening“, and he questioned the alien’s slimy texture and acidic blood in the facehugger medical procedure scene.
Intrigued by the tools featured in the scene and the crew’s interesting word choices to describe alien anatomy in the 1979 movie, the doctor also raised questions about the species’ “oral fixation,” given that the GI tract is for digestive purposes, which doesn’t offer a fertile ground for reproduction. Check out his comments below:
These aliens, like, what is their oral fixation? [They’re] always trying to intubate or penetrate the GI tract. Do they not understand if you try to enter a human’s GI tract, you go into more acid? That’s not where you should reproduce. The uterus is there.
How is he diagnosing her? First of all, what is a traditional fetus? That is a medical vocabulary that I did not learn in my med school days.
It feels reckless to do that much physical activity immediately post-op. Why did it need to gas the squid? It had a laser that literally cut through her abdomen. Just shoot the laser at the thing, and just like chop it up into calamari and you have a yummy meal.
How come in all these movies they never worry about infection control? They’re never putting on masks or protective equipments.
What This Means For Ridley Scott’s Alien
Dr. Varshavski’s comment sheds some light on the parallels between human organs and Xenomorph’s character design, which, in a way, highlights the movie’s realism. Interestingly, Scott did use real animal organs on set to create some of his iconic scenes for practical effects. Produced before CGI, this method resulted in a high level of detail.
In the egg scene, which reminded the doctor of “vaginal vault,” Scott used the lining of a cow’s stomach to create the texture and a fiberglass filled with jelly, and wiggled his fingers inside to show the natural movement of the larva.
For the second phase, which features the facehugger medical procedure, Scott used a sheep’s intestine to add details to the exterior design and used an array of seafood to capture the creature’s flesh.
Our Take On Xenomorphs’ Life Cycle And Design
Similarly, cow organs, clams, and oysters were used in the iconic chestburster scene to create a more realistic effect. The doctor’s comparison between different stages of Xenomorphs to organs is not far off base. While viewing the movie through the lens of medicine may offer a comedic look at the 1979 classic, the doctor’s comments also shed some light on the clear distinction between science fiction and real-life science.
The 1979 Alien is considered a landmark in the sci-fi horror genre. As an antagonist, Xenomorphs rely on realizing some of the moviegoers’ worst fears, including entering through a person’s mouth, which, scientifically speaking, doesn’t make much sense. However, the creature’s realistic design and its unsettling connection to body horror make it terrifying.
Source: Doctor Mike
Alien
10/10
- Release Date
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June 22, 1979
- Runtime
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117 Minutes
