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Summary: A CLASSIC, A WELL MADE MOVIE
Review: Alien is a good film because although it takes place in the future, the science behind it is credible. There are no light sabers, no teleport modules, no secret weapons, no weird beings. The space ship looks like an oil refinery, which makes sense since it's actually a mining vessel.Doesn't the movie looks like it was made recently? I mean , the set design,atmosphere,space scenes and the technology inside the ship don't look so different from other newer films. That's because the movie was well planned, and rich in technical detail. The long scenes are there to give the feel of loneliness, and emptiness of space. I liked the score, the acting, the alien ship, and the dialogue, which does not bore us with mile long technical jargon that only MIT grads and trekkes can understand. Sigourney is great specially in the scene where she's trying to de-activate the self destruct mechanism.I feel this is the best of the series by far. The element of surprise is no longer there in the sequels, which are purely exploitation movies, with bad dialogue. Buy this one , you'll like it.
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Summary: Mark T U.K The best sci-fi horror ever
Review: Having seen this version on laserdisc many months ago, I have to say that seeing it released on DVD will hopefully prove to anyone that a classic piece of cinema can be seen it all it`s glory. The extra footage that was removed for this release is fantastic and anyone who avidly enjoys sci-fi/horror can appreciate the painstaking workmanship that went into making this picture. Also Jerry Goldsmith`s score isolated is an added bonus, also the production paintings and design artwork are all worth anybody's money.
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Summary: This is a SCI-FI classic in many ways.
Review: Aside from the chase scene that takes up the last half of the movie, "ALIEN" is one of the most original conceptualizations within the SCI-FI genre that I've seen. The first time I saw it, I was left stunned (which seems melodramatic, I know) but I avoided this film for years after that. It's funny to me that I experienced real dread over this movie. For that I applaud the people who created its atmosphere, characterizations, set design, art direction, etc. Nothing like a parasite bursting out your guts to teach you benefits of a high fiber diet!!
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Summary: The greatest sci-fi classic yet
Review: 'Alien' is so thrilling.... It received four stars **** from the rating board, and I couldn't agree more. There are few things more terrifying than the idea that you are trapped in a spaceship with a creature you know nothing about that's trying to get you! Sigourney Weaver pulls it all off. She's a queen.
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Summary: Ignore Marshall Fine and Leonard Matlin!!!!
Review: It appears that both Leonard Maltin and Marshall Fine are bias against one of the best fim directors ever: Ridley Scott!! As you can see, Maltin discredited Alien for its violence, but if you look up James Cameron's sequel, Aliens which was far more violent, he loved it! And how did Marshall fine watch the film, in slow motion?! His claim that the film takes too long to kick into gear is an utter lie! Even before the Alien pops out of John Hurt's stomach the film is set up masterfully by Scott, who keeps the anticipation and tension on a knife edge, before the fast action really begins, and when it does, the film is damn scary!! Also a message to Chris Coleman and the viewer form Tennessee: without Alien, there would have been no Event Horizon!! This is a landmark film in all respects: sci-fi, suspence, art direction, acting and story. This film, like some of Scott's other classics such as Blade Runner and Thelma and Louise, owns a key trademark for a classic film: one that has been copied many times, yet has never been bettered! Brilliant!!
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Summary: Ground Breaker still sending seeds out...
Review: Okay. Let's look at the basics. Alien was never more than a film about a monster chasing people in the dark. I don't think that it ever tried to hide this fact, just to 'dress' the situation in such a way as to introduce it to modern times, to the concept of what could be out there.The entire feel of the movie was undoubtedly controlled by Geiger and Ridley Scott's vision. It is this that has led the film, not necessarily the plot. We have the characters. Compare the film to the sequels, or indeed to films of the same age. There are no true heroes. Ripley is barely a hero, only a survivor. The characters are intentionally flawed and are not beautiful models with muscles. Each scene is claustrophobic. The timing (considered slow) is crucial to the feel of terror. Even easy horror cliches (what's the noise? Phew, it's the cat...and here is the Alien) work well, due to the long, slow build up of anticipation. You cannot enjoy this film if you are not prepared to experience it. Many films are ruined because you don't 'buy in' to the idea; the concept. Movies have become so much more than 'Let's just show it'. Marketing, advertising, all of this plays upon your fears and makes the movie into something more. Alien lives on by it's own legacy. So, there are my thoughts. If you want to buy the movie, go for it. You'll undoubtedly love it if you are reading this anyway. Just make sure you aren't alone...it's dark...and there's something scratching on your door...
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Summary: Re-invented the sci-fi/horror genre, setting a new standard.
Review: Ailen works on so many levels it's hard to decide where to begin. While in essence it is no more than a B-rate monster movie, the direction, cinematography, special effects, attention to detail, ingenious characterisations, and incredibly creepy bio-mechanical designs of H.R. Giger elevate the film to the level of a new-perfect study of fear. Scott makes excellent use of the claustrophobic sets and allows the visuals to carry the story, and on more than one level. Every detail, every character and even the behaviour of said characters represents something that we can very much identify in the present, ultimately leading the viewer to identify with the rag-tag team of the Nostromo, and as a result getting the daylights scared out of them just as the crew is decimated by the alien. Scott himself stated that the film is meant to do nothing more than to scare people. Well, it has accomplished that, and a whole lot more. A true new classic.
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Summary: SCI-FI with great atmosphere
Review: Like Ridley's Blade Runner, what distinguishes this film from other sci-fi films is its feel and look. It may take two or three viewing to hit you, but when it does, get ready to become addicted. I agree with other reviewers, this film is great and one of a kind. I did not like it upon the first viewing, and I think this accounts for the occasional bad review.
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Summary: Genre Defining...introduced what has now become cliched
Review: After reading Amazon.com's review, I am convinced that the reviewer was too young to have seen it back when. A lot of the elements of this film have been copied and copied to death, making what was once a groundbreaking horror film into something fairly normal to a casual observer. Still, the movie is a straight horror film, not too much action, with tons of suspense. Probably the only horror film I've ever truly enjoyed. Truly a classic.
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Summary: Check Out The Origins of "Alien"
Review: If you can live without the gore and costly special effects, (and you can spare 69 minutes) you must check out "It! The Terror from Beyond Space." From a historical point of view, you will be amazed how the maker's of Alien lifted the story right out of "It!" The pacing, the isolation of being on a ship where "noone can hear you scream," the whole idea of the uninvited "guest," are all contained in the original. As far as intensity is concerned, Alien is far superior, but just for a laugh, check out It! The Terror from Beyond Space.
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