Review of Alien (1979) by Tim S — 21 Oct 2015
Sci-fi films and horror films that came out of the 1970's were generally adventure films or slasher films, respectively. Nothing wrong with either of those things, but when you look at the work that came out of that era and compare this film to all of that, you quickly realize that there IS no comparison.
Alien is almost a genre unto itself, and that is the mark of a masterwork. To say the least, this is very close to being my favorite film ever. It was also the first film that taught me the most about the power of atmosphere, art direction, and cinematography.
The story itself is very B-movie in nature, but the execution is just so damned brilliant that it's easy to see why a lot of filmmakers hold it up as an early influence, and why space was longer a safe place after its initial release.
The cast is superb, the look of the film is timeless, and it still has the power to terrify audiences to this day. With a mix of It! The Terror from Beyond Space, a bit of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and a few drops of 2001: A Space Odyssey (as well as Star Wars, of course), Ridley Scott and company achieved something quite stunning.
Other than Blade Runner, this is Ridley's finest work and a masterpiece of the art form.
This review of Alien (1979) was written by Tim S on 21 Oct 2015.
Alien has generally received very positive reviews.
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