The crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin.The crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin.The crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 19 wins & 22 nominations total
Storyline
Did you know
- Goofs(at around 1h 35 mins) A crewman with a black panel of some kind is visible through the smoke as Ripley runs through the corridors at the end of the film.
- Quotes
Ripley: Ash, can you hear me?
[slams her hands down on the table]
Ripley: Ash?
Ash: [awakens and starts speaking in an electronic and distorted voice] Yes, I can hear you.
Ripley: What was your special order?
Ash: You read it. I thought it was clear.
Ripley: What was it?
Ash: Bring back life form. Priority One. All other priorities rescinded.
Parker: The damn company. What about our lives, you son of a bitch?
Ash: I repeat, all other priorities are rescinded.
Ripley: How do we kill it, Ash? There's gotta be a way of killing it. How? How do we do it?
Ash: You can't.
Parker: That's bullshit.
Ash: You still don't understand what you're dealing with, do you? The perfect organism. Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility.
Lambert: You admire it.
Ash: I admire its purity. A survivor... unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality.
Parker: Look, I am... I've heard enough of this, and I'm asking you to pull the plug.
[Ripley goes to disconnect Ash, who interrupts]
Ash: Last word.
Ripley: What?
Ash: I can't lie to you about your chances, but... you have my sympathies.
- Crazy creditsThe title of the movie is slowly created one line at a time at the top of the screen during the opening credits, starting out with the I, then the slash in A and the backslash in N, and then the vertical lines in L and E (so it looks like / I I I \). After that, the ensuing lines of each letter are added slowly one at a time until the title is fully visible.
- Alternate versionsThe 2003 DVD release plasters the 1979 version of the 20th Century Fox logo with the 1980's version.
- ConnectionsEdited into Star Trek: The Next Generation: Datalore (1988)
It's hard to look at this film without considering the sequels and knowing the alien itself, however when made the alien was mostly unseen and a mystery. It's difficult to forget what you've seen, but it's important to approach this film first if possible rather than joining the series late.
It's amazing that this is over 20 years old - apart from the actors looking so young, the film doesn't feel dated at all. The sci-fi visions here are still bleak and futuristic as they were then - this is not the Star Trek vision of the future. The foreboding exists long before John Hurt spills his secret, Scott's direction is excellent throughout. Once the alien is "born" the tension is cranked up and the characters dispatched one by one (a formula we know oh-so well now!)
However here the characters are not merely alien-food but have some dimension to them. Weaver is excellent, while the support cast is full of great support actors (Stanton, Kotto, Hurt, Skerritt, Holm), but of course the real star is the one we see least of.
We barely see the alien in full detail, most of the time it is set in shadows, moving with deadly intent.The alien here is not simply a killing machine as seen in later films but is cruel with it. Witness the alien trap a female crew member and slowly rub up her leg, moving with slow seductive movements before moving with terrifying speed to kill another crew member sneaking up behind it. The slow movements betray the alien's pure cruelty.
The film is a study in terror. It may not be as action packed as the other films in the series but it brings the claustrophobia of being hunted to a new level.
- bob the moo
- Oct 16, 2001
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Alien: The Director's Cut
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $11,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $84,206,106
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $3,527,881
- May 28, 1979
- Gross worldwide
- $108,591,169
- Runtime1 hour 57 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1