One of the quintessential sci-fi horror films.

Rating: 10/10 (12 November 2012)

Taking inspiration from such B pictures as "It! The Terror From Beyond Space" and Mario Bavas' "Planet of the Vampires", the extremely iconic "Alien" still stands tall, 38 years after its release, as a prime example of how to do everything right in this kind of film. It's got powerfully effective atmosphere, dazzling landscapes, innovative visuals, memorable special effects, and a slowly, steadily building sense of dread.
Nowadays, in genre fare the convention is to knock people out of their socks with spectacle and constant action (not to mention quick cutting); here, the filmmakers, led by the visionary director Ridley Scott (in only his second feature film) dare to take their time and parcel out the horror carefully. In fact, the big "money shot" of this film doesn't even occur until almost the halfway point. And what a potent scene it is, in its time having the ability to shock viewers out of their complacency.
The story tells of the crew of an interstellar towing vehicle who intercept an extraterrestrial S.O.S. and are obliged to check it out. What they find are a derelict spacecraft, an unpleasant truth about that message, and an insidious alien menace that proceeds to make mincemeat out of the terrified individuals involved.
"Alien" was a revelation in the way that it introduced a new breed of space traveller to the science-fiction genre, one that didn't dress in uniform but who represented the average working Joe or Jane. It also created one of the most striking creatures to be found in cinema, one that grew in stages, and did unpleasant things to the human body. The design is by the great Swiss artist H.R. Giger, the execution by Carlo Rambaldi, and its hideous sexual overtones are not lost on viewers. Jerry Goldsmiths' music is beautifully eerie and nicely understated at times. Even the opening credits have a fantastic, spooky simplicity to them.
The limited number of human characters insures a high degree of intimacy, and the actors, a superb mix of American and British talent - Tom Skerritt as the ineffective Captain Dallas, John Hurt as the fatally inquisitive Kane, Sigourney Weaver (in the breakout performance that made her a star) as the take-charge Ripley, Harry Dean Stanton as the laid-back Brett, Yaphet Kotto as the argumentative Parker, Ian Holm as the subtly dubious Ash, and Veronica Cartwright as nervous wreck Lambert - completely draw us in to the reality of their situation.
As things progress, one will notice that the pace picks up considerably in the second half, as things quickly go from bad to worse to unthinkable. Plus, the script (screenplay by Dan O'Bannon, based on a story by him and Ronald Shusett) definitely has something to say about the nefarious nature of corporate interests.
All these years later, the film is still quite capable of chilling audiences, and set forth a beloved franchise including three sequels, two crossover projects with the "Predator" series, a prequel ("Prometheus"), and the upcoming "Alien: Covenant". Must viewing for genre fans.
10 out of 10.