One of the best sci-fi films of all time.

Rating: 10/10 (26 April 2016)

Alien (1979)
To commemorate 4/26 Alien Day I thought I'd watch this movie. I think Ridley Scott is my favorite Ridley. That's saying a lot when you know how much I enjoy Daisy Ridley as an actress. Not only that, but he's also one of my favorite directors. Easily in my top 10 if not top 5. It's a shame that he's never won and Oscar.
Alien is a staple in Sci-fi Horror. It's a hard genre to mash together and produce something good, let alone phenomenal. With the exception of the Alien series I can only name Pandorum off the top of my head that would fit into that meld of genres.
Alien also had a strong female protagonist, one that wasn't really established as the main character till the second act. It's sort of reminiscent of Samus from Metroid.
Speaking of main characters: Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver, is easily one of the most recognizable female characters in all of science fiction. I'd only suspect that maybe Princess Leia would be more. Even if it was her first time as the leading lady she did a wonderful job that stands the test of time.
I'd be hard press to not talk about Kane, played by John Hurt, as a demonstration of not only an intense and agonizing scene, but the wonderful use of practical effects that will terrorize and also make you feel pity for him. I won't spoil this old movie, but I'm sure you all know which scene I'm talking about. If you don't you'll know by the second act.
People seem to forget that Ash was played by Ian Holm. Bilbo from The Lord of the Rings, and Priest Vito Cornelius from Fifth Element. His scene towards the end of act II reminded me of playing Alien Isolation the video game. Though it should be the other way around. Remember the first time I saw Alien was when I was nine.
John McClane will be known for his catch phrase. Darth Vader for his many quotable lines. I believe Ripley has an amazing phrase she says in the movie that out of context is not a spoiler. "I got you! You son-of-a-bitch."
Can I say that the writing in this film is off the charts. People have a real reason for being there. Each character is on their own a beacon of personality. There isn't a character that's forgotten after watching the movie recently. I couldn't even name half of the party in the Hobbit and I saw that just the other day. Just goes to show you the respect I have for character development. Thank you Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett. They both worked on Total Recall, another great Sci- fi film.
Verdict: Cult Classic, must watch. If you didn't get the chance to see it in theaters today, since it was playing at the Alamo Drafhouse, make a note in next years calendar. 4-26-2017.