A Perfect Film. Turned Both Sigourney Weaver & The Alien Into Cultural Icons.

Rating: 10/10 (11 June 2019)

I had seen this a couple of times prior to watching it with the expressed purpose of reviewing the quality of the film. It's a classic - if you live in America and watch movies, then you really can't escape having seen 'Alien' (1979) at least a couple of times. I always thought it was ok - a fine movie. I'm not a sci-fi fan and I don't particularly care for Sigourney Weaver. However, I created this numeric review system since the last time I saw this film, and I have reviewed 130 or so films now for IMDB. Regularly reviewing films with this metric has changed the way I watch a movie. Now, there is this constant comparison in my mind, weighing the qualities of the film I am watching verses all other films of the genre.
'Alien' (1979) is one of the greatest films of all time. The 1970's effects not only hold up, but are still impressive, due to extraordinary cinematography. Sigourney Weaver is amazing as Ripley and she adds surprise sexuality to the film toward the end. The writing shows the ship to be a microcosm of societal conflicts - duty verses survival, equal pay for equal work, and the battle for women's equality in group decision making. And, then there is The Alien. I capitalize his name (or title?) because he is one of the biggest box office draws of all time. Nicholas Cage wishes he had the career of The Alien.
This film has some great qualities and no noticeable flaws. I am proud to award it my 6th perfect score.
RealReview Posting Scoring Criteria:
Acting - 1/1;
Casting - 1/1;
Directing - 1/1;
Story - 1/1;
Writing/Screenplay - 1/1;
Total Base Score = 5
Modifiers (+ or -):
Cinematography: +1;
Standout Performances: +2 ( Sigourney Weaver , The Alien );
Technical Effects/Make Up: +1;
Importance To Genre: +1;
Total RealReview Rating: 10