Alien (1979)

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  TheMovieDiorama

  10 / 10

  Alien is without a doubt the best sci-fi horror film ever. I cannot believe I have not watched this until now. Wow. I'm flabbergasted. 1979 and yet somehow has aged so damn well that it feels like it could've been made recently. I was beyond terrified, I legitimately shrieked like a little girl whenever the Facehugger or the Xenomorph were shown on screen. The sheer terror that it brings is ridiculous. The crew of the Nostromo intercept a foreign transmission, only to find nothing but death...and slowly the crew become hunted. This is Ridley Scott's greatest directorial effort. The slow camera movement during the beginning to create the tension, for it to then become absolutely chaotic during the climax. I don't think people give him enough credit, he is absolutely talented. The production design was a delight. I mean the interior design of the Nostromo was somewhat cyberpunk-ish and definitely looked like a transportation vessel. The animatronics for the Xenomorph were great, it's design is now a pop culture beauty and will forever be engraved in our minds. The majority of the time it was a guy in a suit and yet it still terrified me. How!? How is that even possible!? Sigourney Weaver cemented herself as a badass heroine and possibly one of cinema's greatest female characters. The supporting cast were also great and each had a distinct personality. The famous chest bursting scene with the late John Hurt was gory, the practical effects used were inventive and original. Ian Holm's character also had some great revelations of his own and assisted in making the story more interesting. The plot is basic but it is a survival film, it clearly doesn't need a complex narrative. The script was quite concise, most of the story was told through the terrifying visuals that are shown and it works wonderfully. It's astounding to me that as I watch classic films, they just hit the mark. What I thought could be overrated turns out to be an absolute masterpiece. Alien gets the perfect rating. A damn scary thrill ride.

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