Hans Rudolf "Ruedi" Giger (February 5, 1940 – May 12, 2014) was an Academy Award-winning Swiss surrealist painter, sculptor and set designer[1] who designed the Alien creature, for the 1979 film Alien. His initial design has since been adapted, modified and re-envisioned by others (and himself) for the subsequent movies, video games and other media of the Alien, Predator and Alien vs. Predator franchises. Giger also wrote co-directed the 1979 documentary Giger's Alien with J. J. Wittmer and wrote the book Giger's Alien.
As well as the original adult Alien, Giger also designed the derelict spacecraft, Facehugger and Egg in Alien, and later worked on designs for the Alien, "Aquatic Facehugger", Chestburster and Alien skin in the 1992 film Alien3 (although these designs were ultimately rejected) and the murals seen inside the Engineer Temple in the 2012 film Prometheus.[2] Other notable films Giger worked on include Species (1995).
For his work on Alien, Giger won an Academy Award for Visual Effects (shared with Carlo Rambaldi, Brian Johnson, Nick Allder and Dennis Ayling).[3][4] He is primarily known for his disturbing, "biomechanical" style. He was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2013.[5][6] On May 12, 2014, Giger died in a hospital in Zürich, Switzerland after having suffered injuries in a fall at the age of 74.[1][7][8][9]
Awards and Nominations[]
| Year | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Alien | Academy Award for Best Visual Effects |
Filmography[]
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Alien | |
| 1986 | Poltergeist II: The Other Side | |
| 1988 | Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis | |
| 1989 | Tiesto Taisen | |
| 1992 | Alien3 | Uncredited |
| 1995 | Species | |
| 1996 | Killer Condom | |
| 1998 | Species II | With Valerie Karasek |
| 2012 | Prometheus |
Documentary Appearances[]
- The Making of Alien3
- The Alien Legacy
- Alien Evolution
- The Alien Saga
- The Beast Within: Making Alien
- Wreckage and Rage: Making Alien3
- Memory: The Origins of Alien
Trivia[]
- Giger's likeness was used for the character of Grand Seer Jannes Ruedi Fields in the Colonial Marines Operations Manual.[10]
Gallery[]
Concept art[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Martin, Douglas. "H. R. Giger, Swiss Artist, Dies at 74; His Vision Gave Life to 'Alien' Creature", New York Times, May 14, 2014. Retrieved on [[May 14, 2014]].
- ↑ "Interview: Ridley Scott Talks Prometheus, Giger, Beginning of Man and Original Alien". Filmophilia (December 17, 2011).
- ↑ "Out of this world: {...} Welcome to the Giger Bar". Samantha Warwick. The Guardian. 29 April 2006. Retrieved June 18, 2009.
- ↑ The 52nd Academy Awards (1980) Nominees and Winners (Oscars.org).
- ↑ "H. R. Giger". Science Fiction Awards Database (sfadb.com). Mark R. Kelly and the Locus Science Fiction Foundation. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
- ↑ "Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame: EMP welcomes five major players". [June 2013].
"H.R. Giger: The man behind the monster, Alien". EMP Museum (empmuseum.org). Retrieved September 11, 2013. - ↑ Staff. "'Alien' creator H.R. Giger is dead", swissinfo, 13 May 13, 2014. Retrieved on [[May 13, 2014]].
- ↑ Jordans, Frank. "'Alien' artist H.R. Giger dies at 74", May 13, 2014. Retrieved on [[May 13, 2014]].
- ↑ Staff. "Der "Alien"-Vater ist tot", Tages-Anzeiger, May 13, 2014. Retrieved on [[May 13, 2014]].
- ↑ Colonial Marines Operations Manual P.212