1h 56m
Director: Ridley Scott

This film throws us into a future where our species travels freely through space, conquering the long journey times by going into cryo-sleep stasis which protects the fragile human body. We join the crew of a vessel transporting a large mining haul.

After Ripley refuses to break quarantine to allow a potentially dangerous alien infected crew member back on board the ship she is overridden, tensions rise and terror ensues.

You don't suspect Ash is an android because he earlier poses a very good human argument as to why he let the crew mate back on the ship. It's a very clever misdirect by the writers and when we do find out it hits slightly harder.

No-one will ever forget the dinner scene where the alien bursts out of John Hurt's chest on the dining table or that scene where Frank goes looking for the cat and you first witness the savagery of the alien as it carts him off into the air vents.

The ending has us follow Ripley for the full count down as the main ship self destructs and she fires off into space. Having the ship count down makes us keenly aware of the time that is passing and makes us present in the moment. The subsequent twist is expertly delivered by Sigourney Weaver as she timidly manoeuvres to blow the creature out of the airlock and then cook it in the thrusters.

I suspect Ridley Scott has a rule, that he doesn't keep something in the edit that doesn't look passably realistic because every shot looks superb - just like Blade Runner, it's all believable and that just adds to the horror of it. You never find yourself questioning whether they're really in a space ship, they're in that ship and they're being hunted by a monster. The only scene that doesn't do it for me is when Ripley plugs in Ash's head and there's a really obvious jump cut between the fake head and his real one. I bet they could fix that quite easily these days.

I hear people comparing this film with the sequel 'Aliens' but they are really incomparable because they are in a different genre. This is mystery whereas Aliens is action. In this film we're really playing with our xenophobia and fear of the unknown.

Something about the H.R. Giger inspired creature and Ridley Scott really effing with you makes this alien absolutely terrifying. The face hugging parasite that impregnates the humans is also portrayed as a horrifying nightmare - feel that claustrophobia whilst a disgusting monster sticks it's probe down your throat and does the unthinkable.

Everything still looks good and reads well in this film, aside from the electronics but I can forgive those because they look damn cool. The audio sounds a bit boomy in places because of the older equipment but other than that I think it's a superb film!

It's the perfect organism!



Trailer: