Pop Culture Thoughts

Rating: 10/10 (1 December 2018)

"Alien" has been a bona-fide classic for such a long time that it's sometimes easy to forget how incredibly well-done it is. From the workaday sets to the claustrophobic atmosphere to the majestic music, every shot of Ridley Scott's masterpiece is perfectly crafted, allowing the movie's pieces to come together into an entirely effective whole that still packs a punch. The acting is, of course, top-notch, with special notice going to Sigourney Weaver, in a star-making performance that feels entirely authentic, and Veronica Cartwright, whose growing fear and panic throughout the movie becomes almost unbearable. With a thirty-minute climax that can still leave you with your knees knocking in fear, "Alien" announced the arrival of major Hollywood talent in Scott and Weaver and continues to be a masterwork of visual and technical expertise.