If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have this:
Or this:
Or these:
Dan O'Bannon didn't design any of those visuals, but he did write the scripts for the movies for which they were created. Most importantly, he created the Alien. To bring that vision to life he collaborated with co-writer Ronald Shussett, sculptor H.R. Giger, director Ridley Scott, and producers David Giler, Walter Hill, and Gordon Carroll, but at the end of the day none of those great minds would have come together if it weren't for O'Bannon sitting down and attempting to write a science fiction horror script originally titled "Star Beast".
This is going to sound really nerdy, but if you know me well enough it'll probably make complete sense. While I may not talk about Dan O'Bannon all the time or have photos of him plastered on my walls, if you think about it, he's probably been one of the most important figures in my life because Alien has been such a major part of my life. I'm not just talking about the fact that I love to watch the movies, though I do love to do that. Alien and Aliens have been a big source of inspiration for me. Because of those movies I began reading comic books in the mid 90's. Because I began reading Aliens comics I decided that I wanted to draw comic books, which in turn is why I went to the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art after I graduated high school.
Aliens is my favorite movie of all time. And it isn't just my favorite movie in the way that my father would say Dances With Wolves is his favorite movie. My dad doesn't have Kevin Costner figurines adorning every flat surface of his bedroom. He doesn't have books about indian tribes and t-shirts with wolves all over them. I surround myself with Aliens. I have toys, posters, books, magazines, comic books, and all other manner of assorted memorabilia based on those movies scattered about my living space. I wouldn't use the word "obsession", though it probably applies. I am just so caught up in the world of Aliens that it's not just "my favorite movie". It's more like "my favorite thing".
And it all comes back to Dan O'Bannon. I think I watch the Alien documentary on the Quadrilogy more often than I watch Alien itself, partially because of this guy’s interviews. When he starts to break down toward the end when he’s talking about how his little "B" horror movie did the near-impossible and became a massive success, that’s some pretty powerful stuff. He may come across a little crass and very opinionated, but he's the guy you root for. The little guy.
Despite the success of Alien and some other noteworthy film projects along the way including Total Recall, Blue Thunder, and Return Of The Living Dead (which O'Bannon also directed), it seems that Dan remained the "little guy" for the duration of his career. I think that's why more people don't know his name, because he seemed to always be the outspoken guy in the background with the really good ideas who rarely got any of the credit. In summary, I guess that's what this post is about: giving Dan O'Bannon the credit that he so rightfully deserves.
R.I.P. Dan.
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