Alien Review (Classic Write-Up)

In Space, No Can Hear You Scream, Or Make A Great Movie

Sci-fi and horror are two genres that are routinely mixed in storytelling, likely because the vastness and mysterious nature of outer space mixes well the inherent terror associated with horror. Because, really, few things scare human beings as much as being confronted with the unknown, and that's the kind of fear that's taken ahold of the crew of the spaceship Nostromo. The various men and women aboard this spacecraft have discovered an extraterrestrial is among them, and it's vicious attacks are picking off each crew member one by one.

You really don't realize how far off Ridley Scott has fallen off in recent years with the likes of The Counselor and Exodus: Gods And Kings until one watches Alien, only his second motion picture, and witness what he did with a smaller budget and a simpler plot structure. Scott really knows how to make a feeling of dread capture the viewer, especially in scenes where just waiting for the inevitable carnage can take one's breath away.

When Brett (Harry Dean Stanton) goes off in search of a cat, what is typically a conventional task for most people becomes an exercise in how to masterfully create tension, as it's plainly obvious the alien is nearby, ready to pounce. Every innocuous action he takes (calling out the cats name, splashing water on his face) only prolongs the inevitable, as well as adding an extra amount of tragedy to what's to come, considering Bretts obliviousness about what's to come.

Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is far from oblivious, however, to what's to come, and it's great to watch her more assertive manner contrast with her crewmates, especially Ash (Ian Holm). Weaver plays Ripleys moments of fear well, but it's when she's experiencing frustration or determination that the character truly shines. The final set piece, which eschews a large in scale climax for a more terrifying and intimate confrontation, is where the most subtle and outward aspects of Weavers performance really excel, and I'm quite excited to see how she fares in future Alien installments.

Aside from one shot at the end of the Xenomorph outside of an escape shuttle, the visual effects of Alien hold up perfectly today. The puppet/body suit used to make the titular creation a menacing force to be reckoned with is used in a convincing but sparing manner, which only adds to the movies memorable scares. Hopefully future Ridley Scott movies (like the promising looking The Martian) remember that excellent use of visual effects and other various nuances of Alien that make it such a engrossing movie for all these years.