about
Loving the Alien
Can you remember where your obsession with movies began? For me, it started when I was six years old. Two events in December 1982, a week apart, defined what was to come. The second was the immersion in the vivid world of Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal. It was a starkly different experience from the first, a story of extraterrestrial trauma, of childhood tears. So many tears. You see, this alien wasn’t phoning home. Oh no, this one had a head that turned into a spider and there wasn't a single schoolkid in sight saving E.T., just a bunch of snowbound blokes in beards and... The Thing onscreen… just kept… changing.
I’m kidding, of course. While I loved Spielberg’s second close encounter, I grew to prefer Carpenter’s gruesome shapeshifter because I've always been more attracted to monsters. Further exploration of Henson’s fantasy worlds lead me to even more of them through Labyrinth (with a man who fell to Earth) – a less terrifying but magical experience – that was also the perfect introduction to the ‘changes’ of David Bowie. By the time the ’90s arrived I was hunky dory for VHS stickers and movie lists, where I developed a healthy taste and wider appreciation of film.
Some things never change.
Rich Johnson
Resume
As a D&AD Award Winner – with a background in graphic design and illustration – since 2004, I have lectured and delivered degree-level courses within the creative arts and media, including: graphic design, illustration, film studies and journalism. My first novel, The Enemy's Son (as James Johnson), was released in 2008, followed by a number of independent comics for various anthologies and collections. With a current focus on film, my credits include: Little White Lies, The Digital Fix, Rebeller, Diabolique, Shots, Network, and Fangoria along with upcoming film commentary for boutique labels and accompanying essays and booklets. My Devil’s Advocates book on S. Craig Zahler's Bone Tomahawk is due out early 2021 and Studying the Superhero Movie in 2022, both from Auteur Publishing and Liverpool University Press. You can currently listen to me over at the FILM & PODCAST and Mondo Moviehouse.
Top 10? These go to 11
Night of the Hunter (1955)
Charles Laughton
Harakiri (1962)
Masaki Kobayashi
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
Sergio Leone
Jaws (1975)
Steven Spielberg
Blade Runner (1982)
Ridley Scott
The Thing (1982)
John Carpenter
The Dark Crystal (1982)
Jim Henson and Frank Oz
This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
Rob Reiner
Nightcrawler (2014)
Dan Gilroy
Bone Tomahawk (2015)
S. Craig Zahler
The Red Turtle (2016)
Michaël Dudok de Wit
*A seminal year for film from cult classics to blockbusters: Blade Runner, The Thing, Tron, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, The Flight of Dragons, First Blood, The Grey Fox, Poltergeist, Tootsie, Gandhi, Conan the Barbarian, The Plague Dogs... and Grease 2.
'I hate television. I hate it as much as peanuts. But I can't stop eating peanuts.' - Orson Welles
'Pain is temporary, film is forever!' - John Milius
writing
Essays, Features & Reviews
Check back regularly for updates. Short reviews and latest additions to the film library can be found over on FILM & INSTAGRAM.
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'Cinema is a mirror by which we often see ourselves.' - Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
testimonials
The things people say...
Rich's writing brims with insight, intelligence and always makes for interesting reading. His Enthusiasm, passion and film knowledge make him a valuable addition to any writing team.
Hel Harding-Jones
Editor
The Digital Fix
I have Rich to thank for the most thoughtful, thorough profile
I’ve ever read about my approach to our industry and the business we’ve built with that approach. More than a professional perspective or retrospective, when I read Rich’s article I thought to myself, “Yeah, that’s me, that’s us.” Rich has a way of bringing out the humanity in all of his subjects, and working with him was far
more conversation between engaged people than it was
q&a between interviewer and interviewee.
Jae Goodman
CEO
Observatory
Rich is not only a great bloke, he's an outside-the-box thinker when it comes to art, a writer of prodigious imagination (have you read his novel?) and a deep reservoir of film lore to boot.
Artist & Writer
Marvel / DC Comics
Green Lantern, Batman and Wonder Woman
Rich has been a recent, welcome addition to the stable of shots freelance writers. His research is in-depth, his communication is great and his enthusiasm for the
subject on which he is writing is infectious,
which carries through to the finished article.
Danny Edwards
Co-Editor
Shots
I was delighted to have Rich on board for our Spotlight on Horror book. His writing is incisive, intelligent and most entertaining. Hoping this is the start of many projects together.
Eric McNaughton
Publisher
We Belong Dead Magazine