In 1979 'Alien' was released and a franchise was born. There is simply no other way of desicribing the phenomenon which was released. 3 sequels later fans still argue over which installment is best (not many people arguing for ALIEN: RESURRECTION admittedly). I personally believe the second (ALIENS) is the best although the original is a different kind of film and is one of the best of it's type, amazing considering the film was almost scrapped because no film companies thought the idea and script would sell.
For those unfamiliar with the story a mining vessel is on it's way home from deep space when it picks up a distress signal. The computer automatically homes in on this and wakes the crew up out of deep sleep. The crew is the usual mis-matched ragtag group with their own personalities and clashes.
The Captain, Dallas
(Tom Skerrit), leads an away team to investigate the beacon. Travelling with him are Lambert (Veronica Cartwright) and Kane (John Hurt). They find a derilect spaceship of alien construction and investigate. While looking round Kane enters the cargo hold and finds a mass of eggs which were being transported, one of these eggs hatches and he is attacked by the creature inside. The trio return to the ship with Kane still having the 'facehugger' attached to him.
Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is the first officer and doesn't want to let them in, instead preferring to quarantine them but the doctor, Ash (Ian Holm) lets them in anyway. As it turns out this was a bad move as the creature had laid an egg in Kane which leads to it's hatching in the infamous chest bursting scene during dinner (NOTE apparently the cast didn't know what was going to happen in this scene so the surprise and horror are genuine).
The crew attempts to catch the alien creature although quickly realises that it is a rapid grower and end up on the run and fleeing to the lifeboats for their lives as the killing machine picks them off one by one.
Ridley Scott brilliantly builds the tension in the film by always keeping the creature in the shadows right up until the finale (a technique used by Steven Spielberg in Jaws a few years before). The stark machinery and claostrophobic tunnels make this a very dark film (in the scarey sense of the work) to watch, as does the sinister doctor Ash who seems to be working to alterier motive. Also interesting was the dispassionate computer ('Mother') who seemed to be from the 'Hal' charm school.
Many of these actors are well established in the field (Tom Skerrit, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto, John Hurt) although this really is Sigourney Weaver's film as it was one of the first to have a strong female lead without a muscle man constantly there to protect her.
The Alien itself is horrible to look at and perfectly designed as a total killing machine. Hollywood rumour has it the monster was based on a nightmare by H.R. Giger and you can definatley see why he remembered it so much. The Alien represents the ultimate 'uninvited guest' and the 'monster within' and there are many brilliant little ideas which really fire the imagination (e.g. the impregnation and the acid for blood).
The pace is relentless and the soundtrack brilliantly atmospheric which makes this film a must for all horror fans as it has hardly aged and the themes and ideas have been copied (but never bettered) so many times since. The trailor for the film is also a classic with the quick fire images, Veronica Cartwright screaming and the Tag-Line 'In sapce no-one can hear you scream'.
If anyone is able to see the 'Directors Cut' version of this it has several additional scene / changes, although I don't believe they add that much. One is of a coccooned Dallas and Brett and although this adds emotion and a new element of horror to the film, it contradicts the second film and I believe that idea works better so I'm happy that Cameron's version seems to have got the nod over Scott's, also there was a rumoured sex scene between Dallas and Ripley but I am glad this was never included. Either version though is essential viewing for film and horror fans alike as this represents a pinacle moment in cinema history.
Dallas - Tom Skerrit Ripley - Sigourney Weaver Kane - John Hurt Ash - Ian Holm Lambert - Veronica Cartwright Brett - Harry Dean Stanton Parker - Yaphet Kotto
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Production Year: 2007 - Science Fiction - Director: Francis Lawrence - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Dash Mihok, Will Smith, Salli Richardson, Willow Smith
By transplanting the classic haunted house scenario into space, Ridley Scott, together ... more
with screenwriters Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett, produced a work of genuinely original cinematic sci-fi withAlienthat, despite the passage of years and countless ...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
By transplanting the classic haunted house scenario into space, Ridley Scott, together ... more
with screenwriters Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett, produced a work of genuinely original cinematic sci-fi withAlienthat, despite the passage of years and countless ...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Alien is the first movie of one of the most popular sagas in science fiction history and ... more
introduces Sigourney Weaver as Ripley the iron-willed woman destined to battle the galaxy's ultimate creature. The terror begins when the crew of the spaceship N...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Alien is the first movie of one of the most popular sagas in science fiction history, and ... more
introduces Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, the iron-willed woman destined to battle the galaxy's ultimate creature. The terror begin when the crew of the spaceship No...
Advantages: Excellent presentation of the film itself in terms of both image and sound; comprehensive photo gallery; interesting interview with James Cameron. Disadvantages: No Director’s Commentary; only one trailer included; no music audio options — essentially, this is not an extras-lite DVD, but it simply has nowhere near as much content as the Alien DVD it follows.
![Alien [DVD] [1979]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78531320.jpg "Alien [DVD] [1979]")
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