Alien [1979 film]

Classic horror movie, basically a haunted house flick set on a spaceship--a creepy, slimey, don't-go-looking-for-the-cat spaceship. As with many great monster movies, you don't really get a good look at the beast...until it's too damned late. Best new monster in ages.

Deadly alien on a spaceship.

Not nearly as intense or scary as the sequel, but it's a much better movie. Very pretty to look at (a good contender for Best Art Direction of All Time). Exceptionally geeky for a mainstream horror film and/or a post-Star Wars sci-fi film.

Concept: C
Story: B
Characters: C
Dialog: B
Pacing: A
Cinematography: A
Special effects/design: A
Acting: A
Music: C

Enjoyment: A plus

GPA: 3.3/4

1970s classic. And overall classic for many solid reasons. It spawned off a pretty strong franchise and has made it way into various other media as references and memes.

Acting: 4.5; Theme: 4.0; Content: 3.5; Language: 0.5; Overall: 4.0

After investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin, the crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform [IMDb].

***January 9, 2026***

Amazon.com essential video
A landmark of science fiction and horror, Alien arrived in 1979 between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back as a stylishly malevolent alternative to George Lucas's space fantasy. Partially inspired by 1958's It! The Terror from Beyond Space, this instant classic set a tone of its own, offering richly detailed sets, ominous atmosphere, relentless suspense, and a flawless ensemble cast as the crew of the space freighter Nostromo, who fall prey to a vicious creature (designed by Swiss artist H.R. Giger) that had gestated inside one of the ill-fated crew members. In a star-making role, Sigourney Weaver excels as sole survivor Ripley, becoming the screen's most popular heroine in a lucrative movie franchise. To show more measure the film's success, one need only recall the many images that have been burned into our collective psyche, including the "facehugger," the "chestburster," and Ripley's climactic encounter with the full-grown monster. Impeccably directed by Ridley Scott, Alien is one of the cinema's most unforgettable nightmares. --Jeff Shannon show less

This is the first and most original and
not to be confused with the sequel Aliens by James Cameron.

Space