In a mining ship called the "Nostromo", the crew picks up an S.O.S. signal from a distant planet. The crew goes to the planet to investigate the signal but one of them finds a strange living organism on the planet. The thing gets stuck to a guys face and they take him to the ship to remove it. The living organism produces an egg inside the man's body and when the egg hatched, an Alien pops out of his body and is let loose on the ship killing crew members.
The Alien without a single doubt is the scariest, ugliest, villainous alien to ever be put on screen. The design is scary; its presence is frightening; and to make things worse, it's in a spaceship killing people who have to fight it themselves with hardly a way out. When you first see the Alien pop out of the guys body, it's not only scary but it's also one of the most gruesome scenes to ever be put to cinema. What makes the Alien even more terrifying is we barley see it nor do we know where it is or when it's going to attack. The tension, the thrills, and suspense never ever stops it just keeps rising.
The crew members are very likable characters. They're acted well and surprisingly there's a very clever plot twist to one of them. The best performance goes to Sigourney Weaver as Ripley. Instead of being the scared and frighten one, she's actually very tough, smart, and doesn't take any crap. It even surprises me that she doesn't even start running and screaming like most girls in horror films. She's not only trying to get out of a ship but she's also trying to save her cat and the crew members and ready to defeat the Alien if it shows up. This is not only a great heroic character but it's also Sigourney Weaver's best performance and what she is best known as.
The main reason why the films so scary is because it all takes place in a spaceship in outer space and "in space no one can you hear you scream". Like in "2001: A Space Odyssey" the characters are trapped in a ship with no where to go and no way to get out, it's either kill or be killed. The cinematography; the darkness; the acting; the set design; lack of score; and special effects make you feel like you're trapped with the characters and the film it self has that catastrophic feeling. I also noticed while watching this movie that there are some references to the film "2001: A Space Odyssey" as well.
The film is so scary that it's put on as number 2 on "Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments"; the film won an Oscar for Best Special Effects; and the Alien is on countless Villain lists. The film also leads up to one of the best sequels of all time.
The movie has also played a big role in Pop Culture and has indeed been parodied a lot. My favorite parody has to be in "Spaceballs". The same actor who played the guy with the Alien coming out of his stomach, had an Alien come out of his stomach in "Spaceballs" and before he passes out and dies he says "Not again". Before the Alien leaves it instead sings and dances like Michigan J. Frog from the Looney Tunes. It's a classic moment from a really great comedy.
"The Great Movie Ride" has even put this film on the ride. You see a scared Ripley hiding; the ships about to self destruct; and the Alien keeps appearing and disappearing as it attacks guest.
This film really is the best Sci-Fi horror of all time, and if you haven't seen it yet, definitely check it out.
RATING 5/5
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