Review: 'Alien' from 1979 a classic

Five out of Five Stars

By Abby Cowels
Staff Writer

In celebration of the upcoming release of the seventh movie in the Alien franchise, “Alien: Romulus,” select theaters are participating in showings of the original 1979 Ridley Scott film that brought a new element of horror to the cinematic world.

“Alien: Romulus,” directed by Fede Alvarez, will be released in theatres on Aug. 16. In the meantime, Alien fans everywhere are getting their chance to see “Alien” from 1979 on the big screen. Seeing it in a theater setting brings new awareness to important elements, such as sound design and lighting.

If you have not yet seen “Alien,” it is a classic that should be a part of every film fanatic’s inventory. The very first film directed by Ridley Scott takes cosmic horror to a new level when a crew of working-class individuals take a detour to LV-426, a planet said to contain unknown organisms. They venture out to collect a sample.

When a crew member falls victim to an alien parasite, it is the beginning of a series of grotesque attacks on the others. The only voice of reason is Captain Ellen Ripley (played by Sigourney Weaver), whose orders are repeatedly disregarded. Crew members start being picked off by a more terrifying evolution of the creature.

Aside from the great acting and performances, the most compelling part of this film is the prop use and set design. The original Alien, known as the Xenomorph, was played by a 6’10” Bolaji Badejo in a costume that was so heavy, it also operated as a puppet for extra mobility.

The set and Xenomorph design were both constructed from the mind of H.R. Giger, a Swedish artist praised for his twisted mind and deranged vision. This Alien design would set the path for every Alien design to date.

More interestingly, set designers were able to create huge open spaces with the help of composite design, which is using backdrops that mimic the set to give illusion of larger spaces. Ridley Scott used his two children in space suits to emphasize these spaces.

In my opinion, the 1979 “Alien” might be one of the greatest films to be created. I have the same hopes for “Alien: Romulus,” though giving it the benefit of the doubt considering how the other five films went: not good, to put it short.

Find the original Alien on Hulu, and for rent on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, or anywhere you stream.