This film needs no introduction. “Alien” is already a household name and when Riddley Scot made this movie, oh boy if he didn’t break out the mold on this one. Three words perfectly describe “Alien”: long, dark and ominous.

Alien, scary from the very start…

You know you’re in for a good time when even the opening title gives you a shiver. The music plays perfectly as the word ‘ALIEN’ slowly appears, line by line. Then there are the establishing shots of the ship: gothic, claustrophobic and sometimes baroque. The use of light and dark is beyond description, the use of sound is as creepy as it gets.

The acting is magnificent. The performance really transports you centuries away, even though that sci-fi vision is bleak you can tell right away it’s not the “Star Trek” vision of the future, but one in which private corporations push the boundaries of space not for exploring the universe for the collective knowledge of humanity, but to bust profit for the industrial entity. The characters are not merely alien-food but have some dimension to them. Sigourney Weaver is more than a marvel to watch, John Hurt is a master, and the rest are nothing short of marvellous.

Alien

The alien making its appearance.

But the true star is the one we see least of. Of course….the alien. Acid instead of blood. Jaws inside jaws. What more could you possibly want? Now this is the real deal right here! Scott had to be really careful not to show a full shot of the Alien, except in very short scenes, and not to reveal how it moves, because then we would see that it is just some  guy in a rubber suit. Today, some computer geeks would come up with a really frightening, but nevertheless FAUX-looking Alien (come on guys, we can tell it’s fake).

This film will always remain a classic, and don’t forget its trademark tagline: “In space, no one can hear you scream…

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