The Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil trilogy: Hear - Hush Speak - A Quiet Place See - Don’t Breath The Scorsese/Schrader Faith Trilogy: Silence, The Last Temple of Christ & First Reformed The Watergate Trilogy: The Post, All the Presidents Men, & Frost/Nixon The NASA trilogy: The Right Stuff, First Man, & Apollo 13.
Prince of Darkness may not be my favorite of his films but it has the single greatest Alice Cooper cameo in any film. That alone gives it 5 out of 5 stars
I know this is somewhat offtopic but I really wanted to say that I'm very impressed by the sheer variety of topics you have covered so far. I was introduced to your channel via the great Godzilla videos and I was surprised you had much more to offer. The biggest surprise has to be the Peanuts videos, considering that I've been revisiting that series lately (hopefully you cover that topic again soon btw). Keep up the good work!
Prince of Darkness is excellent. I've always personally found it to be Carpenters scariest and most unsettling film. This flick makes my skin crawl. It's also been spoken of many times, but the isolation of the characters in The Thing always comes up, but I'll argue to throw PoD in there as well. This group of kids who are trapped in this abadoned church, in the middle of LA and the entire world around them has no idea that the fate of their souls is being fought for just down that street. I love these 3 films. Thanks for coming back to Carpenter, Matt!
Sorry if this is bad form or something. I made a video essay on why I love POD so much that I'm really proud of, and it's been dead in the youtube algo for 2 years. th-cam.com/video/4tipWmghlDE/w-d-xo.html Matt, sorry if you don't allow self promo. Delete on sight if this is your wish!
It's the film I'm most surprised by, sometimes I even like it more than The Thing. It's also the film I can't blame anyone for not getting into because it's so weird, more so than the Thing, which is a monster that can be killed, and Madness... which is basically lovecraftian/King. It's like nothing I've ever seen and I appreciate it for that.
Can't wait to hear the thoughts about Prince of Darkness, it's not perfect but the blurring of science, religion & faith is a very potent and unique take
I flip flop between his version of the Thing and Evil Dead 2 being my favorite horror film. Film is perfect. The fact he remade an all time classic and we argue which is better just proves he is a master of horror
These are honestly some of John Carpenter 's best movies. Each movie has different takes on Cosmic horror and takes the tropes up eleven. Prince of Darkness is probably my favorite out of the trilogy
Heck yes I really love this movie. Even though I know what happens I can never get tired of the plot or the environment. Be isolated in an arctic setting will never not be interesting. Another great one Matt
Well, three of my favorite horror movies from one of my favorite directors getting the respect they deserve equally. It must be my birthday! (It is when I write this, actually)
This is an amazing video Matt I think my favorite in this trilogy is John Carpenter’s 1982 remake The Thing an amazing film keep up the great work could you do a video covering Jonathan Hickman’s legendary run on the Fantastic Four I have started reading vol 1 and it is fantastic
I love The Thing, it is my favorite of the trilogy if not my favorite of Carpenter's filmography. It's endlessly disappointing to know it didn't do well at the box office
I'm going to be honest it does kind of remind me of attack on Titan. The reason why is because you have these characters who are trapped inside of a wall. And they have to do whatever they can to survive.
Same. I think he’d have likely gotten too much money, and made a bigger flop, like Big Trouble in Little China, that came after his 80’s run of successes snd failures, with Starman being a real hit, that got him a lot of freedom for Big Trouble. It’s hard to say. My favorite Carpenter movies were all flops, or minor successes.
He would have definitely done Firestarter, since he was kicked off the project due to the The Thing flopping. From there, I think he could have had more freedom in his projects.
In the Mouth of Madness is not only my personal favorite of the trilogy but my favorite Carpenter film. But all three films in the Apocalypse Trilogy are phenomenal pieces of horror filmmaking.
The dream sequences in Prince of Darkness changed my whole life. I was 12 or 13 i think. Something clicked in my brain, and i then was aware that bad things so very much worse than i had thought possible, were possible.
Nobody ever talks about Carpenter’s two episodes from MASTERS OF HORROR (2005-2006). I mentioned this on your Carpenter video from last year and that you should check them out. In my opinion his episode “Cigarette Burns” with Norman Reedus is one of the most uncomfortable horror stories I’ve ever seen. And “Pro-Life” with Ron Perlman is an entertaining THEY LIVE style action/horror satire. Both are much better worth being mentioned along side his body of work than THE WARD (2009). It’s a shame that no one ever recognizes them.
What an unexpected joy to see! I love In the Mouth of Madness, so any time someone talks about them, I'm there. I enjoy The Thing, and discovered Prince of Darkness ten years ago. I love how each movie has its own feel to it; that even though they're from the same filmmaker, you get a different experience each time.
I think John Carpenter has, at least what I consider, the best directorial streak of all time. Literally every film of his from 1976 - 1988 every single one of his films are fucking classics. I consider his last true “classic” to be ‘In the Mouth of Madness’.
I never noticed the distinctions of each Apacolypse-type with this trilogy. Each one depicts body, mind, and soul. Each one at the forefront with secondary affects in the other aspects of the self. The Thing attacks the body, which consumes the mind and soul once assimilation is complete. Prince of Darkness seeks to corrupt the soul, leaving the body and mind to break down. And Mouth of Madness seeks to destroy the mind, thus distorting and warping the body and soul. Dang!
This ' thing 'film instantly became one of my favorites the day I witnessed it. Consider it one of the best movies ever made. Along with Frankenstein and night of the living dead 😂❤👻☠️
I highly encourage folks who enjoyed/are interested in "In the Mouth of Madness" to check out Jonathan Carroll's 1980 novel "The Land of Laughs," which Michael De Luca claimed to have based ITMOM on.
I just couldn't get into prince of darkness. I really wanted to, but it just wasn't doing it for me. The other two are undisputed masterclasses in horror. All 3 feel like love letters to HP Lovecraft.
It is still beyond insane to me that The Thing was so hated at release, not to mention being a box office bomb too... really goes to show how critics and audiences reactions to film can vary wildly over time and initial receptions are actually rarely indicative of a film's true quality
this was an absolutely fantastic video. Thank you so much. Very appropriate and correct to wish a Happy Halloween to all on Sept 26 since, as we all know, Halloween now begins on Sept 21 and goes all the way through Oct 31 :3 It's true, it's true. We will all face our apocalypse, you say... it makes me wonder if you read the occult :) this is very true, though I assure you it doesn't have to be terrifying. Meditation helps a lot! Your channel is so fantastic. Stay Rad. 🌟
Cool video but I’m surprised there was no mention of HP Lovecraft, whose bleak vision is the heart of In the Mouth of Madness and maybe the whole trilogy more broadly.
Fun fact: Stan Winston (creator of the Terminator,Predator, Alien Queen & all the Jurrasic Park dinos) helped on special effects work for The Thing out of favor for Rob Bottin because Bottin was so overworked.. but Stan wanted to remain uncredited in the credits because in his words "The Thing is Robs baby & Id never take responsibility for any of it. I just lent a hand here & there"
Mouth of Madness is, quite easily, my favorite Carpenter joint. It’s combination of King and Lovecraft with a good dash of Glengarry Glen Ross and its rock influenced soundtrack is just…nothing else like it.
I found this channel thru your great comics retrospectives. While I am not a fan of horror movies, your analysis is amazing. It hasn't particularly boosted my interest watching them, but it makes the meta around interesting. Thank you
Prince of Darkness is my favorite horror movie of all time. I know The Thing is a better movie, but from the first time i saw POD, it had a grip on me, likely driven by the score. Love all three though, but i watch POD and ITMOM way more frequently than The Thing.
The Thing failing did not eliminate his chances with big budget films! While he got fired off of the 1984 version of firestarter, he moved fairly quickly into the $10 million budgeted Christine and the $20 million budgeted Starman the next two years… And then got $30 million to make Big trouble in little China… That movie flopping was what sent him back into independent film
Interesting Theory... I have had a similar position regarding John Carpenter movies but my perspective is a little different. That is to say my movies are different. I truly believe he was exploring 3 possible theories on alien invasion - The Thing: Alien is hostile and malevolent - Starman: Alien is kind, curious and benevolent - They Live: Aliens are already here, already in control and living amongst us I think these are the 3 movies that are truly connected... just my 2 cents Thanks for the discussion 🙏
three films that informed the bulk of my love of horror films. From these came a love of Lovecraft and any storyteller (including King) that would explore the unknown, and leave us with the idea that we are smaller than we think and eerily close to madness.
Even though he didn't direct it, I always felt Halloween 3 fit in as the first part of this unofficial trilogy. It's got that Carpenter feel all over it, and him doing the soundtrack just makes it feel more like a Carpenter movie than The Thing. The Thing is a masterpiece though.
Honestly don't know rhat i could chose a favorite from this trilogy, but each has a favorite of mine...for example, the thing has my favorite special effects of any movie, probably; mouth of madness has both my favorite comedic moment in a horror movie (everything blue scene) and one of my favorite Sam Neill performances (just behind Possession); and Prince of Darkness is probably my favorite mix of science and mythology, along with one of the creepiest bug moments in a movie in the "you're not going to like it" scene.
John Carpenter has always been in my top 3 directors of all time. Prince of Darkness was one I slept on for years for some reason, but after picking up the scream factory Blu on a whim and one I always suggest to others. Donald Pleasance & Victor Wong from The Golden Child are so oddly cast but make the story so compelling I think it’s my favorite of his horror films (tied with The Thing). In The Mouth of Madness is one of the best Lovecraftian horror movies ever, and Sam Neill in the lead nails the role perfectly. The Thing was one of the first horror movies I watched with my dad & always holds a special place in my heart.
Obviously The Thing is the best out of these movies, but I have to tell you, Prince of Darkness freaked me out when I watched it in my younger days, it has this whole eerie feeling all the way through, very unsettling, I find mirrors themselves are a terrifying device if used well in horror. The Mouth of Madness you can't even tell what's real anymore, that dream effect, all 3 movies are very interesting in their own way. Nice video dude.
6:27 "When the Thing takes you over, do you know you're The Thing?" In the novelization, there is an answer to that question: No, you don't know you're the alien. In order to be a perfect replication of its host, the alien isn't even aware of its own alien nature...until it is attacked and drawn out of hiding.
Happy Early Halloween! What's your favorite UNOFFICIAL trilogy?
The Exorcist, The Ninth Configuration, The Exorcist III.
Apocalypse trilogy, the original scream trilogy as well as the dream trilogy
@@GoryRory Nice!
Alien, Blade Runner, and Soldier.
The Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil trilogy:
Hear - Hush
Speak - A Quiet Place
See - Don’t Breath
The Scorsese/Schrader Faith Trilogy:
Silence, The Last Temple of Christ & First Reformed
The Watergate Trilogy:
The Post, All the Presidents Men, & Frost/Nixon
The NASA trilogy:
The Right Stuff, First Man, & Apollo 13.
i asked myself, "where my matt draper video?", and here it is.
Prince of Darkness may not be my favorite of his films but it has the single greatest Alice Cooper cameo in any film. That alone gives it 5 out of 5 stars
IDK, he was pretty great in “Wayne’s World.”
“Me-ah-wah-ke: ‘The Good Land’”
Mouth of Madness is the single greatest legal distinct from Stephen King movie ever made.
No
Actually, way more Lovecraftian than related to SK, really. Perhaps the ultimate unofficially Lovecraftian film ever. Imho.
all three of these films are very lovecraftian the third and final film in particular !
I know this is somewhat offtopic but I really wanted to say that I'm very impressed by the sheer variety of topics you have covered so far. I was introduced to your channel via the great Godzilla videos and I was surprised you had much more to offer. The biggest surprise has to be the Peanuts videos, considering that I've been revisiting that series lately (hopefully you cover that topic again soon btw). Keep up the good work!
Watched all three for the first time this year and loved them all
Prince of Darkness is excellent. I've always personally found it to be Carpenters scariest and most unsettling film. This flick makes my skin crawl.
It's also been spoken of many times, but the isolation of the characters in The Thing always comes up, but I'll argue to throw PoD in there as well.
This group of kids who are trapped in this abadoned church, in the middle of LA and the entire world around them has no idea that the fate of their souls is being fought for just down that street.
I love these 3 films. Thanks for coming back to Carpenter, Matt!
Sorry if this is bad form or something. I made a video essay on why I love POD so much that I'm really proud of, and it's been dead in the youtube algo for 2 years.
th-cam.com/video/4tipWmghlDE/w-d-xo.html
Matt, sorry if you don't allow self promo. Delete on sight if this is your wish!
It's the film I'm most surprised by, sometimes I even like it more than The Thing. It's also the film I can't blame anyone for not getting into because it's so weird, more so than the Thing, which is a monster that can be killed, and Madness... which is basically lovecraftian/King. It's like nothing I've ever seen and I appreciate it for that.
Can't wait to hear the thoughts about Prince of Darkness, it's not perfect but the blurring of science, religion & faith is a very potent and unique take
Scared the actual shit out of me.
I flip flop between his version of the Thing and Evil Dead 2 being my favorite horror film. Film is perfect. The fact he remade an all time classic and we argue which is better just proves he is a master of horror
I just saw the Thing the other day for the first time, and I immediately came to see if you had a video, guess i was a few day early for it
These are honestly some of John Carpenter 's best movies. Each movie has different takes on Cosmic horror and takes the tropes up eleven. Prince of Darkness is probably my favorite out of the trilogy
Excellent review carpenters apocalypse trilogy is cosmic and lovecraftian horror done right
Thanks for the amazing video Matt ❤️
Heck yes
I really love this movie. Even though I know what happens I can never get tired of the plot or the environment.
Be isolated in an arctic setting will never not be interesting.
Another great one Matt
Ah, nothing like a good Draper focus on John Carpenter!
Me encanta tu canal Matt, saludos desde Argentina. Aguante Carpenter!
Well, three of my favorite horror movies from one of my favorite directors getting the respect they deserve equally. It must be my birthday! (It is when I write this, actually)
This is an amazing video Matt I think my favorite in this trilogy is John Carpenter’s 1982 remake The Thing an amazing film keep up the great work could you do a video covering Jonathan Hickman’s legendary run on the Fantastic Four I have started reading vol 1 and it is fantastic
I love The Thing, it is my favorite of the trilogy if not my favorite of Carpenter's filmography. It's endlessly disappointing to know it didn't do well at the box office
Eyy
Will you cover carpenters villiage of the dammed ghosts of mars vampire$ and big trouble in little china
I will definitely cover Big Trouble, but not sure about Ghosts and Vampires with a dollar sign
First goddamn week of fall...
I'm going to be honest it does kind of remind me of attack on Titan. The reason why is because you have these characters who are trapped inside of a wall. And they have to do whatever they can to survive.
I wonder how different Carpenter's filmography would have turned out had The Thing not flopped
Same.
I think he’d have likely gotten too much money, and made a bigger flop, like Big Trouble in Little China, that came after his 80’s run of successes snd failures, with Starman being a real hit, that got him a lot of freedom for Big Trouble.
It’s hard to say. My favorite Carpenter movies were all flops, or minor successes.
He would have definitely done Firestarter, since he was kicked off the project due to the The Thing flopping. From there, I think he could have had more freedom in his projects.
In the Mouth of Madness is not only my personal favorite of the trilogy but my favorite Carpenter film. But all three films in the Apocalypse Trilogy are phenomenal pieces of horror filmmaking.
You would be wrong
That movie is boring and dumb.
The Thing is easily Carpenter's best film with They Live as a close 2nd
The dream sequences in Prince of Darkness changed my whole life. I was 12 or 13 i think. Something clicked in my brain, and i then was aware that bad things so very much worse than i had thought possible, were possible.
THANK YOU FOR PRONOUNCING ROB BOTTIN'S LAST NAME CORRECTLY.
It is impossibly rare on this platform.
Nobody ever talks about Carpenter’s two episodes from MASTERS OF HORROR (2005-2006). I mentioned this on your Carpenter video from last year and that you should check them out. In my opinion his episode “Cigarette Burns” with Norman Reedus is one of the most uncomfortable horror stories I’ve ever seen. And “Pro-Life” with Ron Perlman is an entertaining THEY LIVE style action/horror satire.
Both are much better worth being mentioned along side his body of work than THE WARD (2009). It’s a shame that no one ever recognizes them.
What an unexpected joy to see! I love In the Mouth of Madness, so any time someone talks about them, I'm there. I enjoy The Thing, and discovered Prince of Darkness ten years ago. I love how each movie has its own feel to it; that even though they're from the same filmmaker, you get a different experience each time.
I think John Carpenter has, at least what I consider, the best directorial streak of all time. Literally every film of his from 1976 - 1988 every single one of his films are fucking classics. I consider his last true “classic” to be ‘In the Mouth of Madness’.
I never noticed the distinctions of each Apacolypse-type with this trilogy. Each one depicts body, mind, and soul. Each one at the forefront with secondary affects in the other aspects of the self. The Thing attacks the body, which consumes the mind and soul once assimilation is complete. Prince of Darkness seeks to corrupt the soul, leaving the body and mind to break down. And Mouth of Madness seeks to destroy the mind, thus distorting and warping the body and soul. Dang!
Was just looking for in the mouth of madness video essays, what glorious timing.
Do you read Sutter Cane?
This ' thing 'film instantly became one of my favorites the day I witnessed it. Consider it one of the best movies ever made. Along with Frankenstein and night of the living dead 😂❤👻☠️
Yes dude, Apocalypse of Body Soul and Mind! I’ve been saying this for years!
These movies also easily has some of John Carptenders best soundtracks, dude knows how to make the apocalypse sound cool
In the end, reality is pretty ambiguous anyway, doncha think?
12:39 I thought he said something a lot different at first
The Thing is by far the best one of the 3
I swap out Mouth of Madness for They Live. As much as I love Carpenters films and as highly regarded as Mouth of Madness is, I never got into it.
Maaaaan, I love Carpenter. Him and Kirkbride were really good about dropping red pills for gnosticism, the occult, and mysticism
Please do a retrospective in October about the Chucky franchise especially the television show
Prince of Darkness and They Live are John's best films.
I highly encourage folks who enjoyed/are interested in "In the Mouth of Madness" to check out Jonathan Carroll's 1980 novel "The Land of Laughs," which Michael De Luca claimed to have based ITMOM on.
Great watches for the upcoming Halloween season. Long live Carpenter
In the Mouth of Madness is easily one of Carpenter's best movies and probably also from Sam Neil
Starting off the best time of the year with the a great matt draper vid. Couldn't ask for more
Carpenter was such a great film maker; appreciate your thoughts and commentary on his works.
Man, Wyatt Russel looks just like Thing-era Kurt.
I hadn’t seen In the Mouth of Madness, and I’m kind of annoyed you gave away the end twist.
One of The most bizarre things about THE THING is that the other film its screenwriter, Bill Lancaster was known for was…THE BAD NEWS BEARS??!!
I just couldn't get into prince of darkness. I really wanted to, but it just wasn't doing it for me.
The other two are undisputed masterclasses in horror. All 3 feel like love letters to HP Lovecraft.
The great follow-up to Apocalypse Now
"Apocalypse Soon..."
my three favorite carpenter films the two best are the thing ,and in the mouth of madness !
Great video. Love Carpenter's movies, especially because they inspire so much speculation and discussion. Always fun to revisit.
It is still beyond insane to me that The Thing was so hated at release, not to mention being a box office bomb too... really goes to show how critics and audiences reactions to film can vary wildly over time and initial receptions are actually rarely indicative of a film's true quality
I wonder what recent movies are generally disliked but will come to be revered.
this was an absolutely fantastic video. Thank you so much. Very appropriate and correct to wish a Happy Halloween to all on Sept 26 since, as we all know, Halloween now begins on Sept 21 and goes all the way through Oct 31 :3 It's true, it's true.
We will all face our apocalypse, you say... it makes me wonder if you read the occult :) this is very true, though I assure you it doesn't have to be terrifying. Meditation helps a lot!
Your channel is so fantastic. Stay Rad. 🌟
Cool video but I’m surprised there was no mention of HP Lovecraft, whose bleak vision is the heart of In the Mouth of Madness and maybe the whole trilogy more broadly.
It’s a “Choose How Your Own World Ends Adventure”
Mouth of Madness wasn’t his last “great movie”….that was VAMPIRES
Fun fact: Stan Winston (creator of the Terminator,Predator, Alien Queen & all the Jurrasic Park dinos) helped on special effects work for The Thing out of favor for Rob Bottin because Bottin was so overworked.. but Stan wanted to remain uncredited in the credits because in his words "The Thing is Robs baby & Id never take responsibility for any of it. I just lent a hand here & there"
Mouth of Madness is, quite easily, my favorite Carpenter joint. It’s combination of King and Lovecraft with a good dash of Glengarry Glen Ross and its rock influenced soundtrack is just…nothing else like it.
I know that The Thing is the best film in this unconnected trilogy, but my personal favorite is In The Mouth Of Madness.
I found this channel thru your great comics retrospectives. While I am not a fan of horror movies, your analysis is amazing. It hasn't particularly boosted my interest watching them, but it makes the meta around interesting.
Thank you
I was missing a Matt Draper video. I really dig your takes, editing, scores, your videos are nostalgic but modern at he same time. I’m a huge fan.
Prince of Darkness is my favorite horror movie of all time. I know The Thing is a better movie, but from the first time i saw POD, it had a grip on me, likely driven by the score. Love all three though, but i watch POD and ITMOM way more frequently than The Thing.
The Thing failing did not eliminate his chances with big budget films! While he got fired off of the 1984 version of firestarter, he moved fairly quickly into the $10 million budgeted Christine and the $20 million budgeted Starman the next two years… And then got $30 million to make Big trouble in little China… That movie flopping was what sent him back into independent film
Matt Draper dropping a new JC video essay. AMAZING!
I know I'm gonna watch over thirty times because I did the same with the gates of hell trilogy video ❤️
Interesting Theory... I have had a similar position regarding John Carpenter movies but my perspective is a little different. That is to say my movies are different. I truly believe he was exploring 3 possible theories on alien invasion
- The Thing: Alien is hostile and malevolent
- Starman: Alien is kind, curious and benevolent
- They Live: Aliens are already here, already in control and living amongst us
I think these are the 3 movies that are truly connected... just my 2 cents
Thanks for the discussion 🙏
three films that informed the bulk of my love of horror films. From these came a love of Lovecraft and any storyteller (including King) that would explore the unknown, and leave us with the idea that we are smaller than we think and eerily close to madness.
John Carpenter knows how make truly one of a kind of films for his time. A classic horror master.
Even though he didn't direct it, I always felt Halloween 3 fit in as the first part of this unofficial trilogy. It's got that Carpenter feel all over it, and him doing the soundtrack just makes it feel more like a Carpenter movie than The Thing. The Thing is a masterpiece though.
Honestly don't know rhat i could chose a favorite from this trilogy, but each has a favorite of mine...for example, the thing has my favorite special effects of any movie, probably; mouth of madness has both my favorite comedic moment in a horror movie (everything blue scene) and one of my favorite Sam Neill performances (just behind Possession); and Prince of Darkness is probably my favorite mix of science and mythology, along with one of the creepiest bug moments in a movie in the "you're not going to like it" scene.
It's hard to swallow the negative popular and critical reaction of The Thing at this remove. It's a wonderful piece of cinema beloved by a generation.
in 1982 John Carpenter released the best movie ever made and almost lost his career over it
What a great video! Loved seeing the three of these beside one another
Prince of Darkness is my favorite of the 3
Kurt's Russell is the best actir ever
he should have directed hellraiser
John Carpenters' real nickname is Lo Pan.
I think the idea of a faceless kind of amorphous evil that we can't fight is terrifying. It's something beyond us. Again, it goes to Lovecraft.
John Carpenter has always been in my top 3 directors of all time. Prince of Darkness was one I slept on for years for some reason, but after picking up the scream factory Blu on a whim and one I always suggest to others. Donald Pleasance & Victor Wong from The Golden Child are so oddly cast but make the story so compelling I think it’s my favorite of his horror films (tied with The Thing). In The Mouth of Madness is one of the best Lovecraftian horror movies ever, and Sam Neill in the lead nails the role perfectly. The Thing was one of the first horror movies I watched with my dad & always holds a special place in my heart.
Obviously The Thing is the best out of these movies, but I have to tell you, Prince of Darkness freaked me out when I watched it in my younger days, it has this whole eerie feeling all the way through, very unsettling, I find mirrors themselves are a terrifying device if used well in horror. The Mouth of Madness you can't even tell what's real anymore, that dream effect, all 3 movies are very interesting in their own way. Nice video dude.
The Thing
True Masterpiece ❤
October came early!
Thank you Matt!
👍Thanks!
i don't like the thing
6:27 "When the Thing takes you over, do you know you're The Thing?"
In the novelization, there is an answer to that question: No, you don't know you're the alien. In order to be a perfect replication of its host, the alien isn't even aware of its own alien nature...until it is attacked and drawn out of hiding.