One of the most unique things about the Alien films, is the alien and the set design. H.R Giger had brought his unique vision to the Hollywood mainstream.
H.R Giger was born in Chur, Switzerland. He is a celebrated artist and often utilizes sculpture and paint as his medias. His artwork is dark, often with explicit sexual tones. However, one does not get the sense that his work is in any way misogynist, although it often depicts alien-esque women in an overtly sexual way. A Giger female always seems to be the main power player in his artwork. Both terrifying and and beautiful, and always seeming to be the one actually in control.
The Alien (in Aliens) was the Queen, up against Ripley in that infamous last scene. When was the last time you watched a blockbuster action film, where the two main characters were women, fighting over their survival and protecting their young?
Ok...my Soap-Box moment aside, as you can tell I'm a fan and have been since I first saw Alien as a kid (yup...big horror film fan here since childhood.) I remember one of the first gifts I gave to my brother (bought with my allowance most likely) was an H.R. Giger calendar.
So you can imagine, years ago when I heard about the Giger Bar in Gruyere, it was a dream of mine to one day visit. Although, I never thought I would. When would I be in Switzerland?
Flash forward 8 years...a friend of mine who'd moved to Basel, Switzerland and was now producing Burlesque Shows (Auntie Sam https://www.facebook.com/#!/AuntieSAMPresents) invited me to Basel. Not only was I thrilled to visit, BUT Basel is only 4 short train rides away from Gruyere.
She and her husband, also being Giger fans, were game to take a day trip to the quaint cheese making town.
I was thrilled, and even more so that fellow Atomic Bombshell Lily Verlaine (www.lilyverlaine.com) would be there as well! Naturally I decided that we'd tote some costumes up the small gravel trail one must take to reach Gruyere, and we'd have a photoshoot in the bar. Duh!
And so, check one off the Bucket List. There I found myself; with good friends and a belly full of delicious Gruyere cheese and wine, with all my show Drag on, taking pictures in the surreal Giger Bar. It was...an awesome day.
Here are Lily and I, enjoying the town.
