A cut above the rest

Rating: 10/10 (28 December 2003)

There are so many reasons to love this movie. I saw it on the big screen back in '79 and was in awe. This movie doesn't even attempt to meet you with explanations for every squeak, squawk, or line uttered unintelligibly. It remains mysterious and tense throughout. You never even get a really clear look at the creature (a la 'The Thing From Another World'). On the other hand you don't feel disappointed that you never get a clear look. The tension, anxiety and claustrophobia settles right into your gut and stays throughout the pic thus satisfying what you originally came to the movie for in the first place. Giger's creature is art and apparently began a whole industry of look-a-likes. But this is the original and best in my book. I thought the sequels were great as well but Scott's direction conveys an oppressive atmosphere not present in the sequels. This puts it at a certain pinnacle the others didn't quite reach. Let's run through the accolades - shall we? The acting is top-notch and quite believable. The sound track - or frequent lack thereof - maintains the dread very adequately. The special effects are still good. The camera work is precise in every scene. And the pacing never lets up. You worry about what's around the corner with every scene. A neat little gem that belongs in every sci-fi/horror library. Very worthy of multiple viewings.