Slightly Disappointing

Rating: 8/10 (8 June 2009)

Originally watched to a packed audience at the cinema, I found the movie slightly disappointing after the book and the hype.
I have the first three on DVD (they're the only ones worth watching) and it is certainly true that this movie has withstood the test of time. It is eerie, horrifying, and extremely tense, with excellent sets and acting performances all round. There really is very little to fault.
I'm still a little sceptical about the huge (apparently gravitational) voids containing breathable atmospheres in the spaceship, yet with no obvious means of replenishment. I also find the contrasts of technology a little hokey. The grubby engine-room of the Nostromo more resembles a coal or diesel powered steamship, whereas Ian Holm's character 'Ash' is an android replicant so minutely realised as to pass muster for human to all but the minutest scrutiny. That lot just doesn't stack up.
I'm also sceptical about the absolute and exclusive trust everyone places in the medical officer. I would expect such a small, close-knit crew to take a much keener interest in the plight of one of their number, particularly considering his bizarre and horrific condition.
Still; get your head around that lot and it's a heavy-duty horror trip of the first water. You'll be hard-pressed to keep still in your seat during some of the more sinister moments. You'll likewise be as hard pressed to keep from laughing when Ash - literally - loses his head.
The whole plot was fully realised a few years later in its riveting sequel 'Aliens', and that continues to be the absolute business for me. Only Carpenter's 'The Thing' challenges for the crown.
If you ain't seen 'Alien' your horror movie education isn't complete. And you'll want a big screen and an equally big sound system to do things right.
Very Highly recommended. Pleasant dreams, now.