Viewed in
2008
Premise
The first in the franchise, in which a mysterious, killing alien stows away on a human cargo ship.
Who should watch
Those who like effective, scary science fiction.
Thoughts
While I am not a fan of horror, I enjoyed this influential film. Not only did it launch Sigourney Weaver's career, it also proved that a female action star was possible. Had this film failed, director Ridley Scott might not have been able to create his masterpiece, 'Blade Runner'.
In addition to Weaver, the well-acted cast included Ian Holm and Tom Skerritt. What was interesting was because the story took place entirely on a cargo ship of seven (or eight), it sometimes felt like I was watching a play.
Considering when this was filmed, I was pleasantly surprised by the special effects, as they were very convincing even by 2000's standards. Well, except for the giant computers with monochrome monitors and archaic code.
What made it so scary was the Hitchcock-style suspense. I was expecting a big monster just tearing the place up for two hours. Instead, there was a lot of nerve-wracking waiting. The camera was often from the character's point of view, so I was as clueless as the characters, until it was too late.
This film contained one of the most famous scenes in cinema history, which I will just call 'the dinner scene'. Unfortunately, since I watched this nearly 30 years after it debuted, I had already seen the scene in tributes and parodies. I felt a bit cheated out of the shocking experience of seeing it for the first time.
Even though the late great Jerry Goldsmith did not like how his score was altered for the film, I thought the end result was very effective. The minimalistic music and long pauses of silence enhanced the unknown danger awaiting the hapless humans.
Thanks to special effects, Sigourney Weaver, and great pacing by the film makers, this horror film did what it was supposed to do, it made me sit on pins and needles wanting to know what happens next.
What I would change
Nothing.
Random
I put a question mark on whether I had seen the 'Director's Cut' because according to sources, there were two added scenes, but I only recall seeing one in my viewing. While it explained the demise of two of the characters better, I thought leaving that up to the audience's imagination was the right choice initially.
Was this the first film to start the monster-behind-the-trash-is-a-cat cliche?
