The current landscape of sci-fi cinema is complex. There are only a handful of films that go all the way with the genre rules, and it seems TV shows are our most trustworthy resource when it comes to pure science fiction.
The offer would surely be brightened up by a few films that return to classic form. That awesome period between the mid-'70s and late '90s where studios were pumping out tightly structured, original, and self-contained science fiction with a focus on the human condition and regular people. The Terminator, Predator, Blade Runner-- these were films about people who we can identify with, struggling, ordinary people thrust into extraordinary situations.
In 1979, the Alien franchise began with such a scenario, where average space explorers were totally unprepared for the disgusting life form which appears and hunts them down one by one; Ripley may be the hero and sole survivor, but she is no superhero or bigger-than-life caricature. No, she's an average woman who taps into her strength and confronts an insane situation with terror and believable desperation. The original Ridley Scott film kicked everything off and is often considered to be the prototype of survival and sci-fi horror. So, in a fit of nostalgia, we’ve decided to take look back and take a deep dive into the ten greatest moments from the original Alien.Spoiler alert: Alien (1979)
Boarding the Alien Spaceship
The crew of the Nostromo receives a distress signal in outer space. Actually, their ship does, and they get woken up from hypersleep as everything on board seems to be automatized. The signal is not very clear and the law in the future requires them to attend whoever's calling for help. They head over the moon and a team suits up to explore the remains of what seems to be a spaceship. Nothing is ordinary in this weird place.
It resembles something organic that apparently is void of any life, but it's definitely not of our world. When the explorers go deeper, the crew that stayed behind watch in terror as they approach something that appears to be alive. It's our first glance at the aesthetics of the world H.R. Giger created for the franchise. It's nothing but an impressive presentation of an alien universe.
A Traumatized Cat and A Lost Crew Member
The original Alien sees the crew of a commercial space tug (the Nostromo) awakened from stasis while still in deep space in order to check out a distress signal. Events transpire and a tiny alien is now running around their ship. They’ve only seen it once when it was just a horrifying lil’ baby. Now, mere minutes later, we find engineer Brett wandering alone in the Nostromo’s underbelly, looking for the crew cat, Jonesy. As he crouches down to call the cat out of its hiding spot, a spiked black tail drifts down into the frame behind Brett’s shoulder, followed by the rest of the now very big Xenomorph. He turns, stares horrified into the face of pure evil and is dragged away screaming and bloodied. Jonesy stares, curious.
There are so many elements that make this a great scene. The distant rumbling of the ship’s engine sounds exactly like a faint heartbeat. Chains dangle all around, gently swinging into each other to produce a sinister, spine-chilling soundscape. Director Ridley Scott excellently plays with the viewer’s sense of foreboding; there’s a moment when Brett stops searching and stands under some dripping water. A deep sense of unease begins to creep in, and the camera lingers stubbornly until the audience is almost certain something’s about to burst into the frame. The brief sigh of relief, when nothing does, is immediately recanted by the slow, deliberate entrance of the Xenomorph – an excellent way to introduce this iconic design for the very first time.
The Death of the Android and Dark Reveals
Dallas has been killed by the Xenomorph and Ripley is now in charge. Speaking with Mother, the central computer that controls their ship and their mission, Ripley finds out the company they're part of, has ordered Ash, to bring back the alien organism alive, no matter the consequences.
Ripley and Parker confront Ash, who gets beaten and starts juggling in a way that's anything but human. Parker beheads him and this is how we find out he's actually an android in service of the company. Ripley reconnects Ash who reveals the masterplan. Also, it's the first time we get a glimpse at one of Scott's signature elements that constantly shows up in his universe: the strange milk-like liquid that androids have as blood.
The Face-hugger Medical Procedure
Kane has now been attacked during the exploration of the alien ship. A creature is now hugging his entire face, and he appears to be comatose and gasping for air. They put Kane's body in a gurney and attempt to remove the "face-hugger" but not before piercing one of its legs and realizing its blood can breach the ship's hull. The scene is a great display of special effects, as the creature has managed to use its long tail to wrap itself around Kane's neck, and whenever disturbed, it pulls tighter.
This will give you goosebumps. Moments after, the creature is no longer on Kane's body and is found dead in the room. When they examine it, they find out it's definitely organic, it used to be alive hours ago, and for some reason it's non-responsive. The reason is a horrific reveal you will find below on the list.
Ripley Suits Up For Survival
It is widely agreed upon that the full ending sequence of Ridley Scott’s Alien is fantastic and a highlight of the entire franchise, but there is one particular moment during the final sequence which deserves an honorable mention on any list: Ripley getting dressed. Having discovered that the alien has snuck on board her escape shuttle, Ripley shuts herself in the space suit cupboard and eyes the lethargic-but-still-extremely-deadly creature.
As of now, she’s totally inexperienced in combat, and she's watched a creature systematically kill everyone on her ship without a second’s hesitation. In these utterly dire conditions, we’re able to see her figure out a plan. We then watch her climb carefully into a space suit, desperate to stay quiet, struggling to keep her breath under control. It’s a moment through which viewers are likely to hold their breath for its duration. It may be the most tense scene in the entire franchise, and Sigourney Weaver carries it perfectly with yet another genius piece of acting.
The Computers Hiding Something
The body count increases. Dallas, the captain of the Nostromo, seeks help from Mother, the central computer that controls everything on board. Out of desperation, he simply asks for a procedure to terminate the alien life form that's threatening their lives.
No matter how many questions he asks, and how much data he inputs, the supposedly smartest machine in the world can't compute answers. Not even when he asks what his chances are, Mother can't bring forward a reasonable answer. It's a very straightforward moment in which we confirm they won't get help from the ship's brain. Later, when Ripley learns of the mission update, Mother finally confirms what they are supposed to do: die in the hands of a killing organism.
The Gloomy Ending
Ripley has now won. She's the only survivor and the alien floats away in space as she manages to flush the Xenomorph out of the shuttle. It should be a victory moment, but nothing in Scott's film can conclude in joy or celebration. The Nostromo crew has been ravaged by something they can't possibly comprehend. Ripley reports for one last time as the Third Office and only survivor.
Hopeless, she records a last message and glimpses into a future that doesn't exist. She won't be saved. The ship has also been heavily damaged. She will reach the frontier in some time, and if lucky, something will pick her own distress signal. Only Jonesy is at her side. Ouch. Credits roll on the film that perfectly concluded genre cinema in the '70s.
The Xenomorph Attacks
The crew of the Nostromo is determined to find and destroy their alien tormenter. Having decided that it must be in the air ducts, Captain Dallas (Tom Skerritt) agrees to climb into the vents himself, armed with a flamethrower, intent on cornering and killing the elusive murder machine. It finds him first. While the Alien franchise is known for its original sci-fi concepts, and intense action sequences, the first installment is fundamentally an excellent horror film fused with great sci-fi. The Nostromo serves as a haunted house in space. The eponymous alien is a totally unknown evil force; we know nothing about it, which only makes it scarier.
As if to ensure that Alien would stand proudly alongside other horror classics, Ridley Scott uses this scene to brilliantly execute one of the most common and most often botched horror tropes – the jump scare. Often, jump scares rely on suddenly creating a huge disparity between a quiet, still moment and an ear-piercing intruder popping up out of nowhere. Dallas isn’t cautiously moving through a pitch-black room, only to have a clown face appear behind his shoulder. He’s being warned through the com-link that the creature is coming right for him by Veronica Cartwright, who sounds almost hysterical as she attempts to guide him out, right into the alien’s screaming face.
The Eggs Hold Something
After the explorers' team enter the alien spaceship and walk around in awe staring at the impossibly large structure that doesn't seem man-made, they should have made the decision to head back and report there wasn't anything reporting the signal. However, one of the most curious guys on the team has other plans. Kane rappels down a huge structure where he watches thousands of egg-like shapes. He gets closer and sees something through the translucent walls of the egg. There's something squirming inside. Something alive.
He can't get his eyes off the object containing the creature, and the top of the egg opens up in a sort of welcoming fashion. When Kane gets closer to see the contents, he realizes there's something alive inside. He also realizes it's too damn late when a creature jumps out and attaches itself to his helmet as he falls down. The screeching sound produced when the creature attacks Kane is something we will never remove from our minds.
The Chestburster Surprise
This is the most famous, most parodied, most praised moment of the original film (and the whole franchise) for reasons. For one, this scene is a masterclass in naturalistic tone shifting. So often in action and sci-fi, an alarm will sound, or a problem will occur, and everybody instantly flips from doing nothing to game-face on, 100% prepared to assess and tackle anything. Not on Ridley Scott’s directorial watch. During a full crew dinner scene with no music, voices overlap to create a casual, realistic soundscape. Unobtrusive cinematography acts here as a fly on the wall for this organic, highly natural ensemble performance. The crew eats, complains about the food, and thinks about home. Then someone chokes.
John Hurt’s physicality is mind-blowing. He transitions seamlessly from laughter into stifled convulsions and coughs. Hurt slowly rises and then is held down by the highly distressed crew, bravely doing their duty while trying to push through their concern and fear for their friend. The dinner table begins – cleverly – to resemble a bloodied surgery table, as spilled food and drink take on the appearance of blood and guts. Hurt bites down on a spoon handle for some low-tech pain relief. The chaos builds until Hurt’s chest emits a sharp pop and a small jet of blood, stunning the entire room into a moment of stillness and silence. It’s a shock to behold.