40 Days to Halloween- 1979 Alien

Over the next 100 days, I will present one movie of significances in horror, suspense or thrillers for each year from 1919 to 2018. The next film presented here is 1979 science fiction horror movie "Alien" starring Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Veronica Cartwright and directed by Ridley Scott.

Alien (1979)

Dir- Ridley Scott

The idea of an alien monster killing spacemen is far from original, but what was always missing was the genuine terror and intense special effects. The concept for Alien was tossed around a couple of times by Dan O'Bannon. Originally titled They Bite and then Star Beast, and after changing directors one time we had the venerable Ridley Scott take the helm. With the backing of 20th Century Fox, Scott knew this movie had to be unique; he hired artist HR Giger to develop the artwork and creature design. With a collection of talented actors and some pretty tight spaces, we would get what has to be the best Sci-Fi/Horror movie ever made. The commercial space freighter Nostromo exits hyperspace when its computer detects a beacon is emanating from an unknown planet. The crew is revived and sent down to investigate, what they discover is an unknown alien vessel with some truly organic looking artifacts. The team encounters some mysterious eggs, and one is attacked. Later the same crewman births a hideous creature that soon grows and infects the ship, killing the crew one at a time until the confrontation with a then little-known and half-naked Sigourney Weaver. With excellent special effects, great claustrophobic setting and top-notch acting, we get a movie that relies heavily on suspense and little on direct gore. The real star is, of course, the alien, a product of Giger's unique biomechanical artistry.