{"id":16783,"date":"2011-04-25T12:37:57","date_gmt":"2011-04-25T19:37:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=16783"},"modified":"2023-11-18T18:26:26","modified_gmt":"2023-11-19T01:26:26","slug":"alien-1979","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=16783","title":{"rendered":"Alien (1979)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Alien life form; looks like it&#8217;s been dead a long time.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Poster-210x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"210\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-16784\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Poster-210x300.jpg 210w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Poster-89x128.jpg 89w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Poster.jpg 280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 210px) 100vw, 210px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nThe crew of an interstellar mining ship battles for its survival when it encounters a vicious alien species.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Aliens<\/li>\n<li>Androids<\/li>\n<li>Harry Dean Stanton Films<\/li>\n<li>Horror<\/li>\n<li>Ian Holm Films<\/li>\n<li>Ridley Scott Films<\/li>\n<li>Science Fiction<\/li>\n<li>Sigourney Weaver Films<\/li>\n<li>Strong Females<\/li>\n<li>Survival<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary writes that Ridley Scott&#8217;s &#8220;frightening, ferocious science-fiction film&#8221; &#8212; which &#8220;incorporates many elements of the horror film&#8221; &#8212; is &#8220;loved by many science-fiction fans&#8221; but &#8220;despised by others&#8221; (really? is it still?). He himself argues (and I agree) that it&#8217;s an &#8220;underrated&#8221;, &#8220;extremely scary, well-made, interesting film&#8221; &#8212; one which <u>could<\/u> be viewed as simply a &#8220;violent, big-budget rip-off of [the] cheap fifties SF film, <em>It! The Terror From Beyond Space<\/em>&#8221; but deserves recognition on its own merits, as a modern-day cult classic. In addition to the &#8220;stunning&#8221; design work (by H.R. Giger, Ron Cobb, and Michael Seymour) and truly creepy special effects (the &#8220;terrifying scene&#8221; in which &#8220;a creature attaches itself&#8221; to John Hurt&#8217;s face makes me jump every time), Scott&#8217;s direction of the film &#8212; essentially an &#8220;old dark house&#8221; thriller, in which one character after the other is murdered &#8212; is &#8220;as imaginative as it is (properly) manipulative&#8221;, given that he &#8220;builds tension by having characters talk in hushed tones, smoke incessantly, drink coffee, pace nervously, sweat, [and] argue&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p>Indeed, for an action thriller, <em>Alien<\/em> is surprisingly character-driven. As Peary points out, this is the &#8220;first space film that has working-class heroes rather than scientists and astronauts flying a ship&#8221;, and the entire supporting cast &#8212; most notably Tom Skerritt as Captain Dallas, Harry Dean Stanton as Brett, Veronica Cartwright as Lambert, and Ian Holm as the android &#8220;Ash&#8221; &#8212; give effectively memorable and nuanced performances. In her first starring role, Weaver (as Ripley) is a refreshingly focused and competent leader &#8212; so much so that we&#8217;re <em>almost<\/em> willing to forgive Scott for turning her into a temporary sex object during the film&#8217;s infamous final &#8220;strip&#8221; sequence (the precursor to a genuinely terrifying denouement).  What&#8217;s perhaps scariest of all about this film, however, is the fact that it&#8217;s not the alien, but instead the ship&#8217;s &#8220;home corporation&#8221; who is the &#8220;real villain of the piece&#8221;, given that it willingly &#8220;sacrifices people for discovery&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Sigourney Weaver as Ripley<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Weaver.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Weaver.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-16786\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Weaver.png 853w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Weaver-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Weaver-300x168.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 853px) 100vw, 853px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Memorable supporting performances across the board<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Supporting-Performances.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Supporting-Performances.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-16787\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Supporting-Performances.png 853w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Supporting-Performances-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Supporting-Performances-300x168.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 853px) 100vw, 853px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Atmospheric cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-16788\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Cinematography.png 853w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Cinematography-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Cinematography-300x168.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 853px) 100vw, 853px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Effectively futuristic sets and production design<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Sets.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Sets.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-16789\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Sets.png 853w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Sets-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Sets-300x168.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 853px) 100vw, 853px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Excellent special effects<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Special-Effects.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Special-Effects.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-16790\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Special-Effects.png 853w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Special-Effects-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Special-Effects-300x168.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 853px) 100vw, 853px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>A remarkably freaky screenplay<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Creepy.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Creepy.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-16791\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Creepy.png 853w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Creepy-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Alien-Creepy-300x168.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 853px) 100vw, 853px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as a modern classic of the genre. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cult Movie<\/li>\n<li>Good Show<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0078748\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/movies.nytimes.com\/movie\/review?res=950CEED61439E732A25756C2A9639C946890D6CF\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdbeaver.com\/film\/DVDCompare2\/alien.htm\">DVD Beaver<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/classic-horror.com\/reviews\/alien_1979\">Classic-Horror Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.slantmagazine.com\/film\/review\/alien\/741\">Slant Magazine Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/moria.co.nz\/sciencefiction\/alien-1979.htm\">SF, Fantasy, and Horror Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/_GcIlu7mLjI\">Tired Old Queen at the Movies Video Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Alien life form; looks like it&#8217;s been dead a long time.&#8221; Synopsis: The crew of an interstellar mining ship battles for its survival when it encounters a vicious alien species. Genres: Aliens Androids Harry Dean Stanton Films Horror Ian Holm Films Ridley Scott Films Science Fiction Sigourney Weaver Films Strong Females Survival Response to Peary\u2019s Review: Peary writes that Ridley Scott&#8217;s &#8220;frightening, ferocious science-fiction film&#8221; &#8212; which &#8220;incorporates many elements of the horror film&#8221; &#8212; is &#8220;loved by many science-fiction&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=16783\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16783"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16783\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93382,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16783\/revisions\/93382"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}