Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with alien

Help me remember the name of this horror/sci-fi movie from my childhood (circa 1991).

Mr_Crazyhorse — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 13:16:40 -0800

I am trying to figure out the name of a horror/sci-fi movie from my childhood. It's a movie where a guy wakes up one day and he has a little alien slug/worm that lives on the back of his neck and talks to him. The alien has drilled a hole in the back of his neck and now injects a powerful narcotic/hallucinogen directly into his brain and controls the guy's life. Nobody knows about the alien slug, and at the end of the movie, he squeezes the alien slug to death and it administers a lethal dose to him, and his head blows up. Name that movie! As I'm older I realize it was a metaphor for drug addiction... and frequently try and explain the plot of the movie to people as best as I can remember. It was probably released around 1991. It may have gone straight to DVD or cable. TIA

No silly putty, please

signal — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:25:40 -0800

What are the most alien aliens in Comics, TV or Movie SF? I am looking for the least human-like depictions of aliens, in terms of anatomy, culture, art, architecture, technology, etc., that you've seen in a movie or tv show —animated or live action— or comic book?
Looking for significant alien roles, not some random muppet in the background of the Mos Eisley Cantina.

What are the chances of getting a green card back?

msali — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:14:07 -0800

Several years ago a friend willingly surrendered his Permanent Resident Alien card in the United States. Now he wants it back. What are his options? This friend spent most of his life in the United States, but his family decided to return to Brazil for him to attend high school. He returned to the States three years later to attend college, but he never completed his degree. He returned to Brazil, and willfully surrendered his green card in 2004, because he knew that he was not going to be living in the States anymore, nor would he be visiting often.
....Until now. The boy has seen the light, and wants desperately to return to the States and finish his degree. In fact, he is here right now, on a regular old tourist visa. Currently, he is pursuing an I-20 student visa, but is also researching the possibility of recovering his permanent resident alien status. Can anyone tell me if this is possible, and perhaps provide me with a few resources?

In space no one can here you scream, he wrote

fearfulsymmetry — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 08:41:29 -0800

What's the best literary equivalent of Alien/Aliens? Well obviously there's the Alan Dean Foster adaptations for a start... and the comics.

And I'm not limiting it to 'monster on a spaceship' or 'monsters on a planet + space marines' but anything that successfully merges Space Fiction/Opera and Horror.

Space-Age Bachleor Pa-aaaah Oh God No!

The Whelk — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:50:46 -0800

Music Mix Filter: Long story short, next week the model at my event is coming dressed as the Alien Queen from the ALIEN movies. I have no idea what kind of music to play for the background. The film scores seem obvious but who wants to listen to clanking and increasing strings for 3 hours? I can either go scary-horror-sci-fi or campy-alien-novelty songs. Ideally I could do both. What kind of weird space music recommendations do you have? Gotta have songs about alien invaders?

Name this 1980s movie

FortyT-wo — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:08:30 -0800

Help me identify this movie! 1980's: the big identifying point I can remember: Teens meet an alien. Out in space, the alien gets into a confrontation with a larger alien, and the audience can't understand what's going on... Afterwards, the most laconic of the teenagers turns to the others and says, "I think that was his dad!" and they realize their alien friend is a teenager too. The only other details I recall: The spaceship was red somehow and maybe makeshift? One of the teens might have been a pothead type. Maybe early or mid 1980s? Thanks!

Sculptor / artist who creates lifelike horror / alien scenes?

FuckingAwesome — Tue, 19 May 2009 14:49:30 -0800

Sculptor / artist who creates lifelike horror / alien scenes? I have seen extremely realistic images by a certain artist online before depicting people running in terror from some kind of monster/alien. One in particular I remember I think was set in a school canteen. If anyone can help me out as to who this is I'd be very grateful!!!

Council of sketchy aliens?

galaksit — Fri, 15 May 2009 10:48:18 -0800

Can anyone find this web site about alien contactees, Billy Meier style, in Massachusetts? I recently found a highly entertaining web site by some Massachusetts-based alien contactee types, which included an incredible gallery of sketches of the very important aliens they allege to be in contact with -- and who form a kind of Space Council. Unfortunately I can't find it again and am growing ashamed of my limited Google skills. Can any readers help? Thanks.

Cave Aliens 2

lundman — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 20:05:06 -0800

Yet another 80s Scifi search! But as it happens, I remember the whole movie... ... possibly 70s even, but I would have watched it in the 80s. Starts with a ship docking with a station having obtained an "egg" of sorts, which is sold and bought in a market-style place on the station.
Eventually we leave on a different ship, with the "egg" on board. Naturally the egg starts to grow into a alien creature, albeit a stationary one (mit tenticles). The first scene is set in a galley or kitcheny area with the creature on the right, usually shot from Predator-cam-angle, and the first human to find it, who attacks and gets killed by the creature.

One by one humans are killed and I believe the spaceship ends up in technical difficulties. Eventually the creature learns to communicate with the onboard computer, comes across a moral-code of sorts (could be the bible, or something like the bible).

Eventually the creature and humans communicate via the computer terminal, and it becomes clear the alien only killed in self-defense as it was being attacked by the humans.
(the usual: what is THAT?! I don't know, but kill it!).

The 2 surviving humans (male and female afaik) and creature learn to cooperate, repair the ship, even play chess from memory.

It stood out to me as it had the rare plot of a friendly alien.

Watched it in Scandinavia, but thought it was in English

Old sci-fi stumpers. Can you identify the writer/story?

darkpony — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:09:28 -0800

Old sci-fi stumpers. Can you identify the writer/story? [more inside] 1. Humans don't have sex together but have recreational sex with flowers,
which collect semen and inseminate women

2. Arachnoid aliens arrive on the earth, looking for something - because
they have exhausted their local supplies of mammalian creatures in whom
to deposit their eggs

They are definitely from before 1980. Thanks!

Maybe it was "in Vogue!" Get it? Get it?!

Max McCarty — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 19:48:05 -0800

AlienFilter: Small clarification about this Ridley Scott classic (spolier alert, but only if you've lived under a rock for the past thirty years). While watching this again for the umpteenth time, I got to wondering: exactly how was Ash trying to kill Ripley? By that I mean, how was making Ripley eat a rolled up magazine going to kill her?

What was this book with a pink alien spaceship?

PhoBWanKenobi — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 15:04:17 -0800

SciFiBookFilter: What was this science fiction book? I've already tried livejournal's what was that book community and they couldn't find it, either. But I have faith that you'll be able to help me identify this long-lost sci-fi novel.

I read it sometime in my early teens (I'd say between '94 and '99), though the book itself--a mass market paperback from the library--seemed a bit older. As far as I can recall, the cover featured a large, pink, jelly-fish like spaceship.

The ship, which was a sentient alien a la Farscape or Lexx, was one of the primary characters. It was definitely female, and she may have appeared at the end of the novel in a bipedal form, perhaps in a vision of the main character.

The main character, a male, was her pilot. He may- or may not have been telepathically/psychically bonded to the ship. In this novel, those who piloted these kinds of ships would enter some sort of cryosleep during travel. They were very long lived--I think the main character was in his seventies, but (perhaps due to drugs they took to prolong their lives?) had the stunted height of children. However, they were unable to stop aging completely, so their noses and ears would continue growing. I remember the pilot (and, I think another female pilot?) being described as pretty grotesque looking.

. . . aaand, that's about all I remember. I know that it was not Anne McCaffrey's Ship Who . . . series. This living ship was definitely alien, and the ship itself was definitely her body. Oh, and I've checked the wikipedia entry on bioships and tvtropes entry on living ships, and, as far as I can tell, it's not listed there.

If you have any idea, let me know!

Alien books.

C17H19NO3 — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:05:31 -0800

There was a book that I remember seeing when I was growing up on fictional extraterrestrial life that I can not now find. I think I was in the fourth grade when I saw this book. It went in order of the planets in our solar system, with illustrations of (fictional) organisms that inhabit each planet. I also remember that the organisms on either Jupiter or Saturn resembling jellyfish that floated around in the atmosphere.

I'm sorry that I really do not have much more info than that. Anybody know what I'm talking about? What was that book?

Appealing, school-appropriate video game clip?

daisyace — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 08:00:02 -0800

I would like to find a link for a short video clip of a video game that meets certain criteria. It will go into a presentation to elementary school teachers, as a quick backdrop to a point about interactive games that will be used in school, and that will be fun while challenging kids to think and learn. (It won't itself BE that game; it just has to plausibly look the part.) It needs to have some connection to an outer space theme. So to recap and clarify the criteria:
* At least a 5-second, decent quality clip available online.
* Looks appropriate for kids younger than 12.
* Looks appropriate for a school setting (so, no shoot 'ems, etc.).
* Look like it helps kids think and learn, but preferably not as explicitly as math sums that appear on screen or something - think more like 'puzzles and challenges,' less like 'pick the word that starts with A.'
* Looks interactive.
* Some connection to an outer space theme.

Suggestions would be great, links even better.

I thought getting married would be easy...

mphuie — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 17:26:11 -0800

Help me get this resident-alien marriage process/paperwork straightened out. Here's the situation-

My GF is an international student (on an F-1 visa). She is hoping to finish school after next quarter. We are planning to get married at the end of this year.

Here are the steps as I see them now:
1. Get married
2. I file a I-130
3. She files an I-485.

If I understand this correctly, none of this means she can stay in the US after we get married, until she gets a visa number/space.

Our goal is to keep her here without having to travel in an out of the country for an extended period. We are currently living together, and been together 4+ years.

We have a few options for her to stay here, I believe...

1. She can keep registering for additional classes to extend the F-1 visa. (rather not)
2. She can apply for practical training (up to 1 year) where she has to be actively looking for work or be working.

---------------------------
So a few questions...

First, am I missing anything?

Second, how long is the wait before she is able to stay in the US after we get married? Should we get married nowas a formality and have her stay here using her F-1 visa/practical training until her status changes (through marriage). ?

Another option is for her to apply for practical training now and after she finishes next quarter, start that, then get married, but I'm afraid it will take longer than a year for her to get her marriage visa.

Anyone gone through this process?

PAINTIN OF ALIEN FROM COMMUNION?

hodgman — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:23:05 -0800

Does anyone know who created the now famous painting of an alien that is featured on the cover of Whitley Strieber's COMMUNION? That is my question.

That is all.

Can you help me find this sci-fi book series again?

marcocampos — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 21:00:06 -0800

Please help find the name of series of sci-fi books. It's about a guy who finds some alien artifact on Europa that helps him save Earth from a meteor. In the first book, he finds the artifact and flies an alien spaceship to Earth to prevent it's destruction using some "deus ex machina" weapon. It ends with him traveling very fast to find a mega construction in space.

In the second book this guy has to save this mega construction with the help of an blue skinned alien and female alien that looks very similar to humans.

Finally, in the third book are teleported to a underwater world and again their mission is to save it.

Clues: every main character possesses some type of sphere-like alien artifact that allows them to understand each others and a bunch of other nifty things.

Thanks in advance!

PS: Sorry about the "odd" english. Not my native language.

Thanks in advance!

US tax rebate for nonresident alien?

tabulem — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:37:42 -0800

Am I, a nonresident alien who is a "US resident for tax purposes", going to get the $600 US tax rebate check in 2008? I was livid when I did not receive the $300 rebate in 2001, despite the fact that I lived in the US and paid the same taxes (in fact more) than everyone else. But back then, I used to fill out the 1040NR (where NR = nonresident).

Now, I have been filling out the regular 1040 for a few years (you can do that once you have lived in the US for five years). There is nowhere on the 1040 where I have to mention that I am not a citizen or permanent resident (I have a J-1 visa).

Am I going to get the tax rebate this time?

(As an aside, I think this is a stupid stimulus plan, and I wish no-one would get a rebate, but if people are getting them, then I want mine!)

Whats the kids book about the three eyed/eared alien rabbit who lost its parents?

6am — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 02:37:14 -0800

Whats the wonderfully illustrated childrens storybook about a little yellow three eyed/eared alien rabbit who has lost his/her parents on Earth? The Tate Modern bookshop sells this (not online however) but I'm not going to get a chance to go there in time for Christmas, and I can't for the life of me find it online, not knowing the title. Its got a single-word title, and is awesome. Help!

How does Government exclude Resident Aliens when it's illegal for anyone else to do it?

joecacti — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:02:45 -0800

My friend works as a federal contractor, and he is a permanent resident / legal alien / green card holder. The thing is, it seems more and more federal contracts are requiring US Citizenship, which I can understand for the FBI and NSA and stuff... How does the government decide that US Citizenship is required for a contract. Is there a book of regulations they follow that I can see? See the thing is, Executive Order 11246 specifically prevents government contractors from discriminating against resident aliens, but that doesn't stop the government from excluding them discriminating right in the contract language. I suspect it may have something to do with positions that are "sensitive" to some extent... I do work with IT, so maybe that's it... I have found some resources in my search:

Memorandum from DoJ, EEOC, etc

US DoL OFCCP

and EEOC.

MovieFilter: Alien ship abducts kid, gives him galaxy map?

theiconoclast31 — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 01:52:00 -0800

1980s-90s movie: An alien spacecraft had to upload the galaxy's map into the 90% of a kid's brain that was unused. There was an alien ship, and it was silver. It spoke to the child, I think the ship may have abducted him. The ship had "a stealth mode thing going on."

What is the title of this movie?

Short science fiction story about ice cream?

suimin — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 18:03:35 -0800

I'm trying to identify a short sci-fi story about ice cream, weight loss, and aliens... Another science fiction story identification, sorry if someone has already asked about this one before. I read the story in my sixth- or seventh-grade short story anthology. Since it's been so long I can't remember the author or the title, and it's very possible I'm remembering the actual storyline wrong too, but here goes. The protagonist of the story is still attending school (although I can't remember if it was elementary or high school) and has a younger brother. The plot centers around the sudden appearance of a chain of vendors who sell delicious ice cream, and the simultaneous appearance of a chain of booths that seem to evaporate excess fat from people. Both of these services are provided at very low prices. (If I remember right, the currency in this story was the yen.) Each time a person gets fat removed he or she is given a mark on the wrist. (At one point the protagonist muses that the marks are beginning to form a delicate bracelet.) The protagonist's younger brother has a theory that both the ice cream and the fat-removal services are provided by an alien organization. He claims that the aliens make the ice cream irresistible so that people gain weight, and then they use the harvested fat for their society's energy needs. He claims that the marks on people's wrists identify those who have used the fat-removal service too much, who need to be "culled from the flock." As far as I remember the story ends on an ambiguous note. Does this sound familiar to anyone? If not, is there an archive or search engine I could use to find this story?

An alien blew up my brain!

CuJoe — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 02:26:23 -0800

Please help me remember the name of an old scifi novel about an alien that sucks knowledge out of other people's brains, killing them. It was an old book when I read it when I was a youth and that was over 20 years ago. So I'm pretty sure that it is at least 30 years old. The basic premise as best I can remember is that a man (or a couple) saw a space ship land in his/their field and found the alien pilot still alive. The alien looked like a young man and they took him home to help him heal. He accidentally killed them by removing knowledge from their brains telepathically. He continued to do this to others for years. He eventually became a very important person but was killed in the end by a method I can no longer remember.

I would like to find and read this book again to see how much my taste and interpretation has changed over the years.

Thanks, hive mind.

AvP: King Me!

krisjohn — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 21:19:30 -0800

I'm looking for a cartoon of an Alien and a Predator playing chess or checkers. I believe it was used on an old AvP comic trading card. Does anyone know where I can find this image online?

Advise for illegal immigrant ?

spock — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 08:07:25 -0800

A student at our university was recently shocked to learn that his mother and step-father are illegal immigrants who have been in the country for approx. 20 years. He was born in Mexico but has brothers and sister born in the U.S. His parents work, own a house here, ect. He has a job, is going to be a junior at the university and is planning on getting married. He has a Soc. Sec. card, but now wonders if it is even legit. He wants to find out what he should do next but is worried that he'll be immediately deported if he tries to get help. As a white-bread citizen, this is all Greek to me. What should I advise him to do?