Guest Author - Florence Cardinal

Science fiction has had its share of horror movies. Early movies include Invaders from Mars and War Of the Worlds back in the fifties. Invasion Of the Body Snatchers was another outer space/horror mix. In fact, we've had many "invasion" and "giant creature" movies, many with a science fiction connection.

But the ones that work the best for me are the "Alien" movies. The first one, Alien, was released in 1979. Even the tag line was frightening. "In space no one can hear you scream." It starred Tom Skerritt and Sigourney Weaver and was directed by Ridley Scott. Remember the chest bursting scene? The cat? The terror? Watch the trailers.

Alien
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As rarely happens, the sequel Aliens, proved to be just as frightening. Very intense, with gathering momentum. You hear a sample of that intensity in the trailer. Just like TV, there's a short commercial first so be patient.

And the Aliens continued. Aliens 3 again starring Weaver, many people considered a real let down after the previous two. In Alien: Resurrection, 200 years after her death, Ellen Ripley is revived as a powerful human/Alien hybrid clone who must continue her war against the Aliens. View the trailer.

Alien: Resurrection
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Aliens 5? Lots of rumors, but I don't believe it exists as yet. Those rumors tell us that, if and when it is made, Ms. Weaver won't be in it. Bummer. But I guess it's time to let the 200 year old Ripley go to her eternal rest, at least with Weaver at her helm.

Dozens of other movies with Alien in the title, but none compare with the original Alien and Aliens.

The latest in this series of alien entertainment is called Alien Planet,. and it's not on the big screen. It's showing right now on the Discovery Channel. This is a cornucopia of animation and special effects. Does life exist on other planets? Some of the greatest scientific minds of our time believe so.

Michio Kaku, internationally recognized authority in theoretical physics and the environment and author of Hyperspace: A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes and "Visions: How Science Will Revolutionize the 21st Century", endorses the movie, as do James Garvin and Victoria Meadows of NASA, Jack Horner, paleontologist with Montana University. Stephen Hawkings who has studied the laws that govern the universe and written books that have opened the eyes of the scientific world also agrees that life must exist on other worlds.

Alien Planet premiered on May 14. I don't want to miss it. The animation is fantastic and the theory behind it all? Well, that's where the horror comes in. If life does exist on other worlds, what form will it take? The possibilities blow the mind. Don’t let Alien Planet pass you by.