Bobby Roberts writes, "Is there any more appropriate trilogy to our current moment than the three-film story of Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley? The Alien trilogy is ultimately the story of a no-nonsense, brilliant, hyper-capable woman whose correct instincts to keep quarantine and prevent infection are ignored and overruled by corporate toadies and distracted, ineffectual 'leaders'—thus leading to a completely preventable biological catastrophe she has to clean up herself through increasingly powerful acts of heroism and self-sacrifice, often with no real help from the powers-that-be (who are supposed to be in charge but are really only concerned with protecting the status quo and covering their own ass while profiting off widespread misery). ALL WE HAD TO DO WAS LISTEN TO RIPLEY." On Friday night, MoPOP will host a special watch-along screening of the sci-fi classic (you'll have to stream it on HBO yourself, or purchase it on another VOD service like Amazon). They'll provide a pre-film introduction from MoPOP's Robert Rutherford and the San Diego Natural History Museum's Dr. Michael Wall (who will share the real-world insect biology that inspired Alien's xenomorph life cycle), plus food and drink pairing ideas and more interactive fun. Afterwards, if you're inspired, you can continue streaming the series on HBO.