Simply a masterpiece

Rating: Null/10 (25 October 2001)

'Alien' is one of the greatest sci-fi films ever to grace the silver screen. It is also one of the scariest. Technical limitations (ie, the alien was a guy in a suit), meant the creature is not seen as much as was first proposed. Like 'Jaws', this 'less is more' scenario worked to the film's advantage - it became scarier as we never really got to see the whole alien.
Visually, the film is top notch. Enlisting the talent of surrealist H.R. Giger was a masterstroke. His visualisation of the alien life cycle is superb and engrained on the public conscious (the horrific John Hurt sequence is the main reason for this).
The sound department also did an ace job on the film. All the eerie music, alien screams, computer noises etc are superb. This attention to the sound helps darken the atmosphere, essential for a horror film.
All of the actors give very good performances as the mining ship crew. Sigourney Weaver is particularly strong but my favourite performance comes from Sir Ian Holm as Science Officer Ash. A brilliant actor, Holm plays his part in 'Alien' to perfection.
In general, I would thoroughly recommend 'Alien' to anyone who has not yet seen it. Made in 1979, some things look a little dated but I defy anyone who is not shocked by 'the John Hurt scene' the first time they see it. Simply a masterpiece.