The crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin.The crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin.The crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 19 wins & 22 nominations total
Storyline
Did you know
- Goofs(at around 1h 35 mins) A crewman with a black panel of some kind is visible through the smoke as Ripley runs through the corridors at the end of the film.
- Quotes
Ripley: Ash, can you hear me?
[slams her hands down on the table]
Ripley: Ash?
Ash: [awakens and starts speaking in an electronic and distorted voice] Yes, I can hear you.
Ripley: What was your special order?
Ash: You read it. I thought it was clear.
Ripley: What was it?
Ash: Bring back life form. Priority One. All other priorities rescinded.
Parker: The damn company. What about our lives, you son of a bitch?
Ash: I repeat, all other priorities are rescinded.
Ripley: How do we kill it, Ash? There's gotta be a way of killing it. How? How do we do it?
Ash: You can't.
Parker: That's bullshit.
Ash: You still don't understand what you're dealing with, do you? The perfect organism. Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility.
Lambert: You admire it.
Ash: I admire its purity. A survivor... unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality.
Parker: Look, I am... I've heard enough of this, and I'm asking you to pull the plug.
[Ripley goes to disconnect Ash, who interrupts]
Ash: Last word.
Ripley: What?
Ash: I can't lie to you about your chances, but... you have my sympathies.
- Crazy creditsThe title of the movie is slowly created one line at a time at the top of the screen during the opening credits, starting out with the I, then the slash in A and the backslash in N, and then the vertical lines in L and E (so it looks like / I I I \). After that, the ensuing lines of each letter are added slowly one at a time until the title is fully visible.
- Alternate versionsThe 2003 DVD release plasters the 1979 version of the 20th Century Fox logo with the 1980's version.
- ConnectionsEdited into Star Trek: The Next Generation: Datalore (1988)
Fantastically atmospheric, chilling and terrifying even now, the story holds up incredibly well. The special effects were incredible for the time, no wonder the franchise is still in demand, though sadly nowhere near the quality of this one or its amazing successor.
The music is fantastic, the direction is incredible, and as for the Alien itself, way ahead of its time. Weaver is phenomenal, but arguably she's upstaged by the creature.
You can't help but remember scenes days after watching it, it definitely has the chill factor.
A cinematic masterpiece. 10/10
- Sleepin_Dragon
- Jan 16, 2020
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Alien: The Director's Cut
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $11,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $83,463,459
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $3,527,881
- May 28, 1979
- Gross worldwide
- $107,848,522
- Runtime1 hour 57 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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