The horror-sci-fi hybrid that became a household franchise!

Rating: 10/10 (27 April 2017)

Is it even possible for Ridley Scott to make an unremarkable film? I don't think so. Yes; I'm also including Prometheus in this argument (with the exception of Robin Hood). And Alien showed that Scott was THE MAN when it came to mustering visually impacting science fiction at the cinema. After Star Wars broke new ground for scifi at the movies, along came Alien in 1979; and this film was a totally different beast. And terrifying!
Alien is one of the best space-films of the 70s. Its sense of isolation, confinement in the vacuum of space adds to the tension so beautifully well. The crew of mining ship 'Nostromo' are all alone in space until there's a signal coming from an unknown planet. Little do they know that they're about to bring back with them the most dangerous creature in the universe: The Xenomorph, an alien that bleeds acid and can hide easily in such a vast mining ship.
Scott made himself a filmmaking star overnight with this film. Thirty-eight years on and he's still at it, with Alien: Covenant on the horizon, still showing himself to be a talented and committed auteur impressing us still.