Alien (1977) and Aliens (1986) are two of my favorite science fiction movies. I never expected any characters or monsters from the films to be rendered in ornament form, so I was pleasantly surprised in 2014 when Hallmark released the original xenomorph. The creature is crouched down and ready to strike, and I like to nestle it among the branches of the Geek Tree as a surprise for anyone who’s looking closely. Truth be told; I’m not exactly sure where on the Geek Tree it is this year – it blends in perfectly with the green and shadows of the tree, and my son was the one who hung it this year.
As cool as the Alien ornament was, it’s nothing compared to what followed: Ellen Ripley in her power armor and the Alien Queen herself in all of her majestic, terrifying glory. I don’t typically pose the ornaments on my tree – they go up where they go up – but in this case, my geek sensibilities demand that Ripley fend off against her royal nemesis just as they did in the climax of Aliens.