Critic Reviews
Alien (1979) Rank 4 Reviews
Expert Review Summary
based on (254) reviews
Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating
Reviews by Score:
The Gate.ca (W. Andrew Powell)
It's almost impossible for me to give a fair review of Sir Ridley Scott's groundbreaking Alien, even if it is a new "Director's Cut". I mean, come on, it's a classic no matter what you want to say about it, and science fiction films haven't been ...read the complete Alien movie review at The Gate.ca (W. Andrew Powell)
Steve Rhodes
As the story starts, Ripley (a very young and cute Sigourney Weaver) is one of seven members of a commercial spaceship. The third officer of the crew, she is far from being in charge, but events will conspire to make her into the movie's central ...read the complete Alien movie review at Steve Rhodes
Marshall Garvey
Some people may find the setup for "Alien" to be simple or perhaps boring. Surely enough, those with a lack of an attention span will scorn it because it doesn't throw shredded intestines at the screen the minute it begins, and in all actuality it's the ...read the complete Alien movie review at Marshall Garvey
Andy Keast
Working from a script by Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett (argued by some as the only decent script Scott directed) that was somewhat derived from such pulp scifi horror from the 1950s and 60s as "It! The Terror from Beyond Space" (1958), Scott delivered ...read the complete Alien movie review at Andy Keast
Moviehole
The alien creature is still daunting and Scott wisely has avoided tricks such as digital enhancements and lets the creature remain as it was in the original release. The influential artwork by H.R. Geiger is still as haunting now as it was then as the ...read the complete Alien movie review at Moviehole
Light Views, Reviews & Previews (John Larsen)
I was fortunate enough to attend one of the first studio screenings of "Alien" in 1979. It was at the Academy Building in Beverly Hills, and the theater was about half-full. No one knew what to expect. All we knew was that it took place in space. They ...read the complete Alien movie review at Light Views, Reviews & Previews (John Larsen)
Sun Newspapers of Cleveland
If it's suspense you seek, you'd do much better to invest in the brief big-screen run of "Alien: The Director's Cut." Sure, it's a hype for an upcoming 25th anniversary DVD, but even the most elaborate home theater is hard-pressed to match the ...read the complete Alien movie review at Sun Newspapers of Cleveland
Cutting Edge
De eerste “Alien” is volgend jaar 25 jaar oud en dat moet gevierd worden! Na wat digitaal geluid– en beeldopkuiswerk, is de film van regisseur Ridley Scott (“Gladiator”, Black hawk down”) weer presentabel voor het grote scherm. Of je ’m nu ...read the complete Alien movie review at Cutting Edge
Dark Horizons (Garth Franklin)
Pirate movies have been missing at sea for years, though with good reason as the last few that did set sail were considered real duds including one of the biggest sinkers in history - "Cutthroat Island". So a little over ten years later it comes time ...read the complete Alien movie review at Dark Horizons (Garth Franklin)
Reel.com DVD review (Tor Thorsen)
As a video medium, DVD can often be a frustrating paradox. On one hand, it offers viewers audio and video quality nonpareil. On the other, it fobs off special editions of Blues Brothers 2000-esque dreck onto consumers while studio bickering delays ...read the complete Alien movie review at Reel.com DVD review (Tor Thorsen)
Reel.com (Tim Knight)
Widely imitated but never surpassed, the 1979 sci-fi horror classic Alien returns to the theaters this Halloween in a digitally remastered "director's cut" from Ridley Scott. Working with a team of archivists, Scott has skillfully incorporated ...read the complete Alien movie review at Reel.com (Tim Knight)
The Onion A.V. Club (Keith Phipps)
Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and Ridley Scott's Alien bookend a decade of space-themed films, and the distance between them is telling. Released a year before the lunar landing, 2001 looked to the stars with an almost religious sense of ...read the complete Alien movie review at The Onion A.V. Club (Keith Phipps)
The Onion A.V. Club (Keith Phipps)
The most wonderful and horrible thing about film franchises is that where they begin and where they end up usually have little to do with one another. Take the Alien series, now collected in an exhaustive, smartly assembled, nine-disc box set. (Smartly ...read the complete Alien movie review at The Onion A.V. Club (Keith Phipps)
And You Thought It Was Safe? review
There are three films, more so than any other, that typify modern genre cinema. Ken Begg (over at Jabootu) calls them “template” films, and while that’s a damn good phrase (with more than enough truth to it) it falls short of describing the true ...read the complete Alien movie review at And You Thought It Was Safe? review
Philadelphia City Paper (Sam Adams)
The "director's cut" tag notwithstanding, this is functionally the same Ridley Scott movie that was released in 1979 -- which is a relief, since the original needs no improving. Without the glossy vacuousness of later Scott pictures, Alien is mainly ...read the complete Alien movie review at Philadelphia City Paper (Sam Adams)
eFilmCritic
OK, so tell me with a straight face that you can watch Alien in a dark silent room and it's not scary? Well, you're a damn liar.
Look, it's simple: You're in this giant, cold, wet, drippy, metal and steel maze (that literally has no escape) and ...read the complete Alien movie review at eFilmCritic
eFilmCritic Reviews
I, however, am an Alien freak. So when it was re-released in theaters I was thrilled to get a chance to see the film on the big screen for the first time and loved the whole experience. Ever since I saw Aliens on video back in 1987 I knew I had found my ...read the complete Alien movie review at eFilmCritic Reviews
Reel Movie Critic (George O. Singleton)
There are literally a handful of movies that have a defining moment, and "Alien" is one of them. Two others that come to mind are "Psycho" and "The Crying Game." The good thing about knowing what "the moment" is and when it will occur is that we ...read the complete Alien movie review at Reel Movie Critic (George O. Singleton)
Peter Sobczynski
A funny thing happened to me as I sat down to once again watch Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi/horror classic "Alien". Having seen the film approximately a zillion times before, I had planned to focus my attention solely on the changes made for this ...read the complete Alien movie review at Peter Sobczynski
MovieEye.com (David Litton)
Close your eyes for just a moment (after reading this, of course), and try to think of any other scene from any other horror movie that manages to shock the hell out of us as much as that in Ridley Scott's "Alien," in which a man's stomach bursts ...read the complete Alien movie review at MovieEye.com (David Litton)
DVD Authority.com (Kat)
After responding to a distress call in deep space, the crew of the Nostromo, a space cruising vessel, is going to learn to mind their business, if they can survive that is. The signal came from a ship docked on a remote planet, which appears to be void ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVD Authority.com (Kat)
One Guy's Opinion (Frank Swietek)
One can nit-pick Alien. A few effects moments come across as a trifle outdated by modern standards. But in the important areas of style and impact, it remains head and shoulders above today's bloated, whiplash-paced blockbusters. It's ...read the complete Alien movie review at One Guy's Opinion (Frank Swietek)
25frames.org (Christoph Huber)
Auf dem Heimweg zur Erde hält der Raumfrachter Nostromo bei einem noch nicht untersuchten Planeten, weil er ein Funksignal von dort aufgefangen hat. Commander Dallas (Tom Skerrit ) stellt einen Landungstrupp zusammen. Bei der Untersuchung der ...read the complete Alien movie review at 25frames.org (Christoph Huber)
Dragan Antulov
The entire concept of ALIEN concept that can explain its great success as horror film is just another story of human beings confronted with their inherent limitations. Technology can make human life longer or easier, yet it can't remove human ...read the complete Alien movie review at Dragan Antulov
Planet Confusion
Das Geschäft mit dem Grauen im Kino ist diffiziler Natur. Es gibt eine ganze Menge Filme, die spannend sind. Manche sind auch ekelhaft und schwer zu ertragen. Doch wirkliche Angst, dieses unheimliche Gefühl der Bedrohung, überträgt sich nur selten ...read the complete Alien movie review at Planet Confusion
Cinemaphile.org (David Keyes)
The fated journey of commercial space vessel the Nostromo in Ridley Scott's "Alien" is the kind of epic space excursion that avid 1970s science fiction pioneers like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas would probably discard in early script stages. On ...read the complete Alien movie review at Cinemaphile.org (David Keyes)
Bloody-Distgusting
"Alien" is simply one of the most brilliant, pivotal horror/sci fi movies of
the twentieth century. The theatrical version kicked ass even after being
trimmed at the behest of Fox. The newer director's cut is even better, with
several addition ...read the complete Alien movie review at Bloody-Distgusting
Serdar Yegulalp
The plot is direct and unadorned. A group of space pilots who're on the way home "truckers in space" was the way the press kit described them get pulled out of suspended animation because of a distress beacon. The company they work for stipulates that ...read the complete Alien movie review at Serdar Yegulalp
SF, Horror and Fantasy Film Review
However Alien is quite a different film to its 1950s predecessors. The usual clean, crewcut astronauts-come-GI's of 1950s films have been substituted for a troupe of bickering, hard-assed blue collar-types who are constantly bitching about their pay. ...read the complete Alien movie review at SF, Horror and Fantasy Film Review
The Dual Lens (Marlee MacLeod)
I’m the sole female writer for The Dual Lens, so it makes sense that my assignment for The Alien Symposium was to review the film with an eye toward gender. For a while, I was stumped. I knew what I thought I was supposed to write about; over the ...read the complete Alien movie review at The Dual Lens (Marlee MacLeod)
The Dual Lens (Ian Whitney)
I was barely five years old when Alien terrified audiences of 1979. Not the kind of movie you’d expect a pre-schooler to see, but I did. Twice. My dad, avidly interested in the film after seeing a teaser the year before, took me while my Mom was out of ...read the complete Alien movie review at The Dual Lens (Ian Whitney)
Reel.com DVD review (Tor Thorsen)
As a video medium, DVD can be a frustrating paradox. On one hand, it offers viewers nonpareil audio and video quality. On the other, it fobs off special editions of Blues Brothers 2000-esque dreck onto consumers while studio bickering delays premium ...read the complete Alien movie review at Reel.com DVD review (Tor Thorsen)
Houston Chronicle
The biggest lure for seeing Alien: The Director's Cut on the big screen isn't brief new footage or remastered visuals and sound. It's the big screen itself, which properly showcases a genuine fright classic. ...read the complete Alien movie review at Houston Chronicle
Arrow in the Head ("The Arrow")
Alien is the movie that made the formula of a “crew trapped in an enclosed area with monster” popular. Countless imitators have followed but none were ever able to achieve the artistry that “Alien” proudly displayed. On the visual front, ...read the complete Alien movie review at Arrow in the Head ("The Arrow")
The King's Room (Paul Perkins)
When I was about 6 years old a look at a film for only a
couple of mins it was called Alien I didn’t know what it was about I was
to young to understandings but the monster on the screen scary the living
daylights out of me.
Well that was ...read the complete Alien movie review at The King's Room (Paul Perkins)
Hollywood Gothique
A Gothic horror move set in outer space, ALIEN proved that material derided as B-movie fodder could be handled with finesse and glossy production values, without diminishing the thrills or polishing over the hard-edged horror. Dan O`Bannon`s script is ...read the complete Alien movie review at Hollywood Gothique
Wooden Spoon's
Overall: Most people should already know what the plot of this film is so I didn’t want to get bogged down with it. The film is an absolute masterpiece of horror and definitely one of the better films out there. I was lucky enough to buy the ...read the complete Alien movie review at Wooden Spoon's
RG Crow's Bosting Reviews
With the whole saga recently released on DVD, most fans have been rubbing their hands with glee while watching the whole movie with outtakes, alternate score and Scott commentary. While many such offerings tend to be padding, the producers went to town ...read the complete Alien movie review at RG Crow's Bosting Reviews
Home Theater and Sound (Wes Marshall)
On its way home to Earth, the deep-space mining ship Nostromo picks up an urgent call for help from a recently colonized planet. When they arrive, all they find is a giant desiccated life form and hundreds of leathery, egg-shaped objects. When Kane ...read the complete Alien movie review at Home Theater and Sound (Wes Marshall)
InsidePulse.com - Alien Quadrilogy DVD Review
Some compare this set to both the Ultimate Matrix Collection and Peter Jackson's Extended Edition versions of Lord of the Rings, however unlike those two franchises this box set wasn't planned. Those studio's were working on their sets while the ...read the complete Alien movie review at InsidePulse.com - Alien Quadrilogy DVD Review
Movie Gnome
Ridley Scott's breakaway hit, Alien, follows seven crewmen aboard a starship. After being rerouted to check out a distress beacon, they come into contact with a strange life form. Soon, it becomes apparent that this thing can reproduce something much ...read the complete Alien movie review at Movie Gnome
Rambles (Tom Knapp)
Aliens and its less-successful sequels were gory horror films filled with as much mayhem and H.R. Giger-inspired special effects as possible. But the first film in the series, the singular Alien, was a different sort of movie. ...read the complete Alien movie review at Rambles (Tom Knapp)
TheBoxSet.com - Complete Movie/DVD Review
After eighteen years of cranking out films, four installments with four different directors, tons of splattered aliens, even more splattered humans, and a partridge in a pear tree, the entire Alien Quadrilogy comes home to the format of choice: special ...read the complete Alien movie review at TheBoxSet.com - Complete Movie/DVD Review
The Gline DVD review
Outstanding Controversial Eyeful
hat sense of cosmic contempt is what makes Alien tick. The universe is not simply indifferent to life but outright hostile to it. On top of that, instead of banding together in the face of this, many men elect to ...read the complete Alien movie review at The Gline DVD review
The World's Greatest Critic! (J.C. Maçek III)
In 1979 a new kind of Horror movie hit the screens of the USA. The marketing campaign practically dared you to watch the film, warning that "In Space no one can hear you Scream!" Alien helped to make a Television Commercial Director a household name ...read the complete Alien movie review at The World's Greatest Critic! (J.C. Maçek III)
FilmJerk.com (Edward Havens)
A wondrous reminder of how imagination can triumph over budget. ...read the complete Alien movie review at FilmJerk.com (Edward Havens)
EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)
This scary feature breathed new life into the horror genre, launching a length film franchise and introducing to audiences a major actress, Sigourney Weaver, in a tough role typically allotted to men. ...read the complete Alien movie review at EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)
San Jose Mercury News (Glenn Lovell)
It's a most satisfying return to one of the few sci-fi films that deserves to be called a masterpiece. ...read the complete Alien movie review at San Jose Mercury News (Glenn Lovell)
Salt Lake Tribune (Sean Means)
What makes Alien truly terrifying is Scott's vision of a future where the line between man and machine is disappearing. ...read the complete Alien movie review at Salt Lake Tribune (Sean Means)
eFilmCritic.com (Scott Weinberg)
Horrifying in the most joyously primal way. ...read the complete Alien movie review at eFilmCritic.com (Scott Weinberg)
Mr. Cranky Rates the Movies (Mr. Cranky)
Detroit Free Press (--)
Empire Magazine (--)
A cargo spaceship intercepts a signal of unknown origin from a nearby planet. When the crew investigates, they inadvertently bring a highly dangerous alien lifeform on board that picks them off one ...read the complete Alien movie review at Empire Magazine (--)
FeoAmente.com (Kelly Parks)
What does slow, subdued classical music do to you? Do you find it relaxing? Some people feel that way.
I don’t. To me, that’s the theme of an indifferent universe. Music like that terrifies me. Here’s why. ...read the complete Alien movie review at FeoAmente.com (Kelly Parks)
Encyclopedia Of Fantastic Film & TV
At the end of the 1970s, big screen science fiction underwent a dramatic renaissance when George Lucas' Star Wars [1977] and Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind [1977] rescued the genre from the doldrums into which it had fallen ...read the complete Alien movie review at Encyclopedia Of Fantastic Film & TV
Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
The story begins on board the commercial vessel known as the Nostromo, where its crew are awakened prematurely while still in deep space from their cryogenic slumber. The reason for their early disturbance has to do with the company's policy to ...read the complete Alien movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Attack of the 50 Foot DVD!
The movie that started it all! Alien is the dark and claustrophobic tale of a deep space mining crew on their way home from work whose ship, the Nostromo, and its computer control system, Mother, unexpectedly wakes them early from hypersleep. Mother, it ...read the complete Alien movie review at Attack of the 50 Foot DVD!
Cine Fantastico: Alien
Mientras vuelve a la Tierra, la nave carguero Nostromo recibe una señal de ayuda procedente de un planeta. Los tripulantes exploran la superficie del planeta, y uno de ellos es atacado por un ser desconocido que se adhiere a su rostro y le mantiene en ...read the complete Alien movie review at Cine Fantastico: Alien
Nexus7: Alien, el 8º pasajero
Cuando la nave comercial Nostromo, de regreso a la Tierra, intercepta una señal SOS procedente de un planeta cercano, la tripulación es despertada de su estado de hibernación para investigar el origen de dicha llamada. Tras un mal aterrizaje sobre el ...read the complete Alien movie review at Nexus7: Alien, el 8º pasajero
CountingDown.com review (Max Colston)
A group of scientists aboard a spaceship heading back towards earth intercepts an SOS signal coming from a desolate planet. Unfortunately, they're obligated to investigate. After a rough and scary landing, three of the crew members go to investigate the ...read the complete Alien movie review at CountingDown.com review (Max Colston)
DVD Review: The "Alien:Legacy" Box Set
It may not be a fast movie, but it doesn't need to be. It's all in the details; scene after scene that are positioned to build up the tension, a lot of soft, quiet moments added into the middle of the film to keep us wondering just when something will ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVD Review: The "Alien:Legacy" Box Set
Damox - DVD Review
It has been over 25 years since Ridley Scott gave us the original Alien. Ridley Scott is the guy that made that famous Apple "1984" commercial. Some of you can see where this is going. Everyone knows that three-in-a-set is called a trilogy. Star Wars ...read the complete Alien movie review at Damox - DVD Review
DVDAnswers.com - region 2 review of Quadrilogy boxset (Richard Schuchardt)
In 1979 a masterpiece was born; Ridley Scott introduced the world to his sci fi classic, Alien. Nearly a quarter of a century later, the movie is still held in high esteem, and is regularly featured in the top ten movies ever made. Unsurprisingly the ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVDAnswers.com - region 2 review of Quadrilogy boxset (Richard Schuchardt)
DVDAnswers.com - region 1 review of Quadrilogy boxset (Chris Gould)
When it comes to milking a franchise to death, DVD has made things a whole lot easier for the studios. Those of us who scarcely bought VHS tapes (remember those?) are now quite happy to hand over large sums of cash for the privilege of owning the latest ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVDAnswers.com - region 1 review of Quadrilogy boxset (Chris Gould)
DVD Authority - Alien Quadrilogy DVD review
Alien was a landmark motion picture, one which has remained one of the top sci/fi movies, even well over two decades later. The sequel, Aliens broke from the mold and focused on wild action sequences, but still found great success. These two films are ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVD Authority - Alien Quadrilogy DVD review
DVD Maniacs Quadrilogy review
In 1979, Ridley Scott’s Alien exploded onto the big screen. Millions of cinema-goers were blown away by its ferocious power and sparkling ingenuity. One of the most groundbreaking pictures the sci-fi genre ever produced, it spawned three sequels and a ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVD Maniacs Quadrilogy review
DVD Review
When “Alien” hit theaters in 1979, science fiction movies had mostly been seen as flying saucer films with goofy looking aliens who abduct good-looking models to their ships to do whatever. At the other end of the spectrum there were space operas ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVD Review
Aisle View - Director's Cut
I think it's only fair to say, upfront, that I love Alien. I've seen it at least a dozen times and even though I know what's coming, I still get a little fright every time. I should also warn you that in order to discuss the new footage, I have to ...read the complete Alien movie review at Aisle View - Director's Cut
DVD Town - Alien Quadrilogy (John J. Puccio)
The last time I was scared by a film in a theater it was 1979 and "Alien." Before that it was the 1963 adaptation of "The Haunting," and when I was a kid it was "The House of Wax." What do all of these films have in common besides fright? They're ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVD Town - Alien Quadrilogy (John J. Puccio)
DVDTown (John J. Puccio)
The last time I was scared by a film in a theater it was "Alien." Before that it was the 1963 adaptation of "The Haunting," and when I was a kid it was "The House of Wax." What do all of these films have in common besides fright? They're basically ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVDTown (John J. Puccio)
DVD Verdict - The Alien Quadrilogy
We don't know squat about space, but your neighbors will be able hear you scream—with joy—from your home theater if you take the plunge and pick up this set. With reference quality transfers of two cuts of each film in the series, and a dizzying ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVD Verdict - The Alien Quadrilogy
Joe Bob's Ultimate B Movie Guide (Joe Bob Briggs)
Ridley Scott's masterpiece of quick-cutting (you never really see the monster) tells the story of the Nostromo, a deep-space cargo ship and its dysfunctional stir-crazy crew. They stop to check on a ship that has crash-landed, only to bring a deadly ...read the complete Alien movie review at Joe Bob's Ultimate B Movie Guide (Joe Bob Briggs)
Deep Focus (Bryant Frazer)
Alien _uacct = "UA-96971-1"; urchinTracker(); Alien (1979) GRADE: A Along with the early films of David Cronenberg, Alien ushered in the era of biohorror. H.R. Giger's alien design clears the way for director Ridley Scott and screenwriters Dan O'Bannon, ...read the complete Alien movie review at Deep Focus (Bryant Frazer)
Reel.com
As he did with his director's cut of Blade Runner (1982) in the early 1990s, Scott has achieved the near-impossible: He's made a great film even better. The newly restored footage both clarifies the narrative and ratchets up the tension. For audiences ...read the complete Alien movie review at Reel.com
Slate (Michael Agger)
In Pauline Kael's essay "Why Are Movies So Bad? Or, the Numbers," which she published in 1980 after a brief, unhappy stint as a producer in Hollywood, she lamented that moviegoers had become "jaded" and wanted "images that move along in an ...read the complete Alien movie review at Slate (Michael Agger)
Classic Horror
Here's another film, like The Exorcist, that I have to rate highly because of its historical status more than its value in isolation. In isolation, or, at least seen outside of its particular place in history-say, if it had come out a year or so, ...read the complete Alien movie review at Classic Horror
dvdfuture.com (Ken Pierce)
The first of the films, Ridley Scott's Alien, is now twenty years old (oy!), and as such receives the platinum treatment from Fox. This is great news, because Alien is a true classic in the horror film genre. Most twenty year old horror films suffer ...read the complete Alien movie review at dvdfuture.com (Ken Pierce)
DVD Net (Jules Faber)
This first disc of the killer nine-disc Quadrilogy collection sets up the series very nicely, with the contents containing two versions of Ridley Scott’s masterpiece. Much has been said about the theatrical version and as it has already been released ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVD Net (Jules Faber)
ZombieKeeper.com
But that aside, Alien well deserves to be called a horror film, and a damned fine one at that. The film being set in space is incidental, as Alien has the claustrophobic and undeniable feeling of a haunted house/monster-on-the-loose flick. One of Ridley ...read the complete Alien movie review at ZombieKeeper.com
kids-in-mind
It's sometime in the future, and Earth is dominated by corporations. A mining ship returning to Earth responds to an SOS coming from a planet and some members of the crew go to the surface to investigate. But one of them comes back to the ship carrying ...read the complete Alien movie review at kids-in-mind
Friday and Saturday Night (--)
“Alien” (1979) and “Aliens” (1986) make one of the finest movie “pairs” of all time. Don’t worry about the other two films in the series, “Alien3” and “Alien Resurrection.” Just stick with the two winners. Their success is in no ...read the complete Alien movie review at Friday and Saturday Night (--)
MovieJustice (Justin Scheidt)
Though the violence is mild for today's standards, it's a more of an "it's not what you see, it's how you perceive it" effect, which in my opinion is far more effective. Overall, the amazing special effects, great performances, wonderful score, and the ...read the complete Alien movie review at MovieJustice (Justin Scheidt)
Off-screen
Intrappolatasi col gatto Jones, l'altra bestia spaziale della storia, nella capsula di salvataggio Narcissus che ha appena abbandonato l'astronave Nostromo al suo destino di disintegrazione nello spazio, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) si distende, ...read the complete Alien movie review at Off-screen
Film Monthly (Jerome de Groot)
After the countless sequels, platform games, comic/ movie tie-ins vs. Predator (no contest), board games, academic treatises, homage, parody, subgenres and general cultural impact, time to reassess Alien on its own terms as a movie. On the eve of the ...read the complete Alien movie review at Film Monthly (Jerome de Groot)
Xi-online (Bregtje Schudel)
Vroeger was alles nog simpel: horrorfilms waren eng en science fiction films futuristisch. Het alom bekende verhaal over Ridley Scott die in 1979 als eerste met zijn film Alien science fiction met horror heeft weten te combineren is zo langzamerhand al ...read the complete Alien movie review at Xi-online (Bregtje Schudel)
CinemaScreen (James Salter)
Picture the scene: The top execs are sitting around the table at Fox HQ, discussing the release of the four Alien movies on Special Edition DVD. “Let’s add a few extras,” says one. The floodgates open, as more and more documentaries and ...read the complete Alien movie review at CinemaScreen (James Salter)
filmrezension.de (Matthias vom Schemm)
"Alien" ist weniger als Weltraumfilm zu verstehen, als das er mehr eine drastische Darstellung der menschlichen Psyche ist, die in Konfrontation mit ungezügelter, gewissenloser Sexualität steht. Das Raumschiff "Nostromo", welches von einem Computer ...read the complete Alien movie review at filmrezension.de (Matthias vom Schemm)
The Popkorn Junkie
The seven-member crew of the commercial towing vehicle Nostromo is en route to Earth with a load of mineral ore in tow when the ships intercepts a signal of mysterious origin. The master computer awakens the crew and informs Captain Dallas (Tom ...read the complete Alien movie review at The Popkorn Junkie
cinEncanto (José Martín Sulaimán)
Aprendà de un buen amigo, VÃctor Cota, a apreciar de manera diferente la obra de otra persona. Un buen libro, una buena canción y una buena pelÃcula siempre tienen algo que enseñarte. ...read the complete Alien movie review at cinEncanto (José Martín Sulaimán)
The Flick Filosopher (MaryAnn Johanson)
Greatest? Oh yeah. Ridley Scott's seminal 1979 flick remains perhaps the most effective and most dreadfully entertaining example of the breed. It's so often imitated that the glut of pale, sorry, fragile replicas have almost become a genre unto ...read the complete Alien movie review at The Flick Filosopher (MaryAnn Johanson)
Walter Frith
Seven crew members. Dallas (Tom Skerritt), Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), Lambert (Veronica Cartwright), Brett (Harry Dean Stanton), Kane (John Hurt), Parker (Yaphet Kotto) and the very mysterious Ash (Ian Holm). Each one capable in their jobs aboard the ...read the complete Alien movie review at Walter Frith
Cinema Laser (Derek M. Germano)
When Fox released their fine ALIEN LEGACY COLLECTION on DVD, I thought that it would be their final word on the subject until the advent of a high definition optical disc format. However, Fox has pulled another rabbit out of their hats by releasing the ...read the complete Alien movie review at Cinema Laser (Derek M. Germano)
Reel.com
Visually, Alien 's print hasn't been in better condition since it was first released. As with Star Wars: Special Edition 's restoration process, a new color-corrected negative was created, and over 5,000 frames were retouched to eliminate specks, grime, ...read the complete Alien movie review at Reel.com
Reel.com
As a video medium, DVD can often be a frustrating paradox. On one hand, it offers viewers audio and video quality nonpareil. On the other, it fobs off special editions of Blues Brothers 2000-esque dreck onto consumers while studio bickering delays ...read the complete Alien movie review at Reel.com
Christian Spotlight on the Movies
This film stands out from the general Sci-Fi crowd in terms of convincing acting and good (for its era) special effects. Also, it avoids the occult/supernatural themes found in many Sci-Fi stories. Sigourney Weaver's character Ellen Ripley wasn't ...read the complete Alien movie review at Christian Spotlight on the Movies
BBC Films (Almar Haflidason)
Clearly we're not the only people who think Ridley Scott's Alien is "one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made", as 20th Century Fox has really pulled out the stops with this two-disc set (forming part of the Alien Quadrilogy release). It's ...read the complete Alien movie review at BBC Films (Almar Haflidason)
BBC Films
There are only two things you need to know about Ridley Scott's slasher-movie-in-space masterpiece: firstly, it's one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made. And secondly, it's a completely different beast from James Cameron's pumped up ...read the complete Alien movie review at BBC Films
Teen Movie Critic (Vivian Rose)
Alien is a gory, bloody monster mash, and, as far as gory, bloody monster mashes go, I found it completely engrossing. (And, yes, it was ...read the complete Alien movie review at Teen Movie Critic (Vivian Rose)
3 Black Chicks ("The Diva")
Dallas (Tom Skerritt), Kane (John Hurt) Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), Brett (Harry Dean Stanton, Parker (Yaphet Kotto), Lambert (Veronica Cartwright), and Ash (Ian Holm) are the crew of the cargo ship Nostromos. This cargo ship has been on tour for months ...read the complete Alien movie review at 3 Black Chicks ("The Diva")
DVD Talk (Chuck Arrington)
This is my absolute favorite entry in the Alien franchise. It's perfect blend of psychological terror, classic horror and Science Fiction is incredible. I have never seen another sci-fi/horror film done as well as Alien. It's good old-fashioned ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVD Talk (Chuck Arrington)
Latino Review
Has it really been almost twenty-five years since the release of Ridley Scott's "Alien", the sci-fi classic which exploded out of nowhere in 1979? It seems like yesterday when I heard relatives discussing the film and how it scared the crap out of ...read the complete Alien movie review at Latino Review
cinEncanto (Pablo del Moral)
Tom Skerritt .... Dallas
Sigourney Weaver .... Ripley
Veronica Cartwright .... Lambert
Harry Dean Stanton .... Brett
John Hurt .... Kane
Ian Holm .... Ash
Yaphet Kotto .... Parker
Imagen © 1979 20th Century Fox
Frecuentemente me quejo en ...read the complete Alien movie review at cinEncanto (Pablo del Moral)
El Criticon (Antonio Méndez Casanova)
Cinescape
The film that put Gothic horror in outer space, ALIEN proved that material often derided as B-movie fodder could be handled with finesse and glossy production values, without diminishing the thrills or polishing over the horror. Dan O'Bannon's script ...read the complete Alien movie review at Cinescape
filmdeculte.com (Nicolas Plaire)
Une chose frappe à la vision de la version remasterisée d’Alien; son indéfectible modernité. Là où d’autres œuvres de science-fiction passent, trépassent et paraissent datées, le second film de Ridley Scott jouit d’une patine qui l’a ...read the complete Alien movie review at filmdeculte.com (Nicolas Plaire)
ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
A welcome re-release for Scott's classic sci-fi horror, with a couple of directorial tweaks for good measure.Occasionally, someone will re-release a film and you can't help but wonder why they bothered (the original Italian Job, for example). In ...read the complete Alien movie review at ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Moovees.com (Dan Wester)
"In space no one can hear you scream," is easily one of the most well-known taglines in movie history. Alien is one of the most acclaimed sci-fi/horror movies of the last 30 years (it ranked #6 on AFI's "100 Years...100 Thrills" list), and ...read the complete Alien movie review at Moovees.com (Dan Wester)
eye WEEKLY (Jason Anderson)
Alien was not the first horror movie I ever saw but it was the first I heard about. During its original theatrical run in 1979, the movie's notoriety was so great that even seven-year-olds knew about it. Most of the rumours had to do with a weird ...read the complete Alien movie review at eye WEEKLY (Jason Anderson)
Mutant Reviewers From Hell
The entire Alien series really boils down to one critical scene, which takes place about forty minutes into the first movie. You know it -- you were probably traumatized the first time you saw it (and then quickly ran out to find other friends to expose ...read the complete Alien movie review at Mutant Reviewers From Hell
A Guide to Current DVD (Aaron Beierle)
Looking back on the "Alien" series, its fun to once again see how different all of the films are. While the third and fourth films met with negative reaction, even they were distinctly done in the style of their director. Although James Cameron's ...read the complete Alien movie review at A Guide to Current DVD (Aaron Beierle)
Sci-Fi Movie Page (James O'Ehley)
Watching a triple bill consisting of Alien, Outland and Predator one begins to realise just how influential this 1979 movie really was. Outland ripped off Alien's vision of the future (all tough and gritty) while Predator ripped off its plot (group of ...read the complete Alien movie review at Sci-Fi Movie Page (James O'Ehley)
DVD Verdict (Sean McGinnis)
This is my new favorite science fiction disc, clearly surpassing Contact, The Fifth Element or anything else you would care to name. Congratulations Fox, for a job well done. Here's to hoping this becomes the first in a series of terrific releases. ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVD Verdict (Sean McGinnis)
The Phantom Tollbooth
The seven-member crew of the commercial towing vehicle Nostromo is en route to Earth with a load of mineral ore in tow when the ship intercepts a signal of mysterious origin. The master computer awakens the crew and informs Captain Dallas (Tom Skerritt) ...read the complete Alien movie review at The Phantom Tollbooth
Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
Unlike many of the kids in my second grade class, my parents wouldn't take me to see Alien when it was released in 1979 – and with good reason. It's a scary, scary movie. (I was, after all, the kid who literally didn't sleep for a week after seeing ...read the complete Alien movie review at Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
Film 247.net
A murderous life form terrorises the crew of a space ship woken prematurely from their hibernation chambers to check out a mysterious distress signal on a distant planetoid. ...read the complete Alien movie review at Film 247.net
AboutFilm.com (Carlo Cavagna)
H aving spawned numerous imitators over the past twenty years, Alien is a seminal movie in the history of horror. It's also notable for being the screen debut of Sigourney Weaver, who leads a first-rate ensemble cast that includes Tom Skerritt, Ian ...read the complete Alien movie review at AboutFilm.com (Carlo Cavagna)
Chart Magazine
In 1979, Alien was a truly groundbreaking release. Not only was it a perfect amalgamation of sci-fi and horror genres, but it was also the first film to allow director Ridley Scott a significant amount of creative license. While the story didn't ...read the complete Alien movie review at Chart Magazine
Shadows on the Wall (Rich Cline)
Nearly 25 years later, Ridley Scott is back with a director's cut of his sci-fi horror masterpiece, which he's only slightly tinkered with, adding 5 minutes of previously cut footage ... and cutting the whole film down by 5 minutes so it maintains its ...read the complete Alien movie review at Shadows on the Wall (Rich Cline)
Crazy for Cinema (Lisa Skrzyniarz)
I find the first 30 minutes of this movie to be excruciatingly long and boring, but once it gets going it cranks up the creepiness level so high you'll be squirming in your seat. I personally prefer it's adrenaline pumped, kick-ass sequel ALIENS, but ...read the complete Alien movie review at Crazy for Cinema (Lisa Skrzyniarz)
MovieWeb (Carl Lazarevic)
Throughout history there have been many films made in a variety of different genre's. Some are met with indifference from the audience at hand, while others, such as The Matrix films, are instantly hailed as classics by the people who see them on ...read the complete Alien movie review at MovieWeb (Carl Lazarevic)
MovieMaze (Daniel Licha)
DVD Town (John J. Puccio)
The last time I was scared by a film in a theater it was "Alien." Before that it was the 1963 adaptation of "The Haunting," and when I was a kid it was "The House of Wax." What do all of these films have in common besides fright? They're basically ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVD Town (John J. Puccio)
Salon (Andrew O'Hehir)
Unlike its increasingly baroque series of sequels, Ridley Scott's original 1979 "Alien" is a film about human loneliness amid the emptiness and amorality of creation. It's a cynical '70s-leftist vision of the future in which none of the problems ...read the complete Alien movie review at Salon (Andrew O'Hehir)
Almost Fabulous Movie Reviews
Sigourney seems so young in this one. She's great though, the story is good with lots of tension, and the alien is impressive and very gooey. The movie has held up extremely well over the years and is still scary and worth watching. ...read the complete Alien movie review at Almost Fabulous Movie Reviews
The Book-Lover's Guide to Cinema (4.0/5.0)
The first third of Ridley Scott's Alien contains a brilliant reworking of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. In the opening scenes of the movie, Scott appropriates Kubrick's modernistic set design and lighting, and finds a similar, patient sense ...read the complete Alien movie review at The Book-Lover's Guide to Cinema (4.0/5.0)
Cinema Laser (Derek M. Germano)
Twenty years after its release ALIEN remains one of the best science fiction scare fests of all time. While the basic plot of ALIEN may appear to be derived from a low budget 1950's science fiction film entitled IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE, it is ...read the complete Alien movie review at Cinema Laser (Derek M. Germano)
Horror DVDs Review
Probably one of my most eagerly awaited DVDs in my history with the format. When the film was finally announced last January for a DVD release in June of 99 it was a godsend. The DVD format wasn't always bursting at the seams with all these exciting ...read the complete Alien movie review at Horror DVDs Review
Screen It! Entertainment Reviews for Parents
Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's ...read the complete Alien movie review at Screen It! Entertainment Reviews for Parents
Edinburgh U Film Society (Sarah Woolner)
Ridley Scott's Alien offered a new dark view of space and its exploration. Made only a couple of years after Star Wars, Alien is in complete contrast: its characters are not at all glamorous and the use of space travel appears entirely commercial. The ...read the complete Alien movie review at Edinburgh U Film Society (Sarah Woolner)
Dallas Morning News (--)
The City Review (Carter B. Horsley)
This film takes place a couple of centuries forward in time, about 2200 A.D., and the state of space travel is such that somehow it is economical to conduct mining operations in the far reaches of space and to ferry cargo back and forth on humongous ...read the complete Alien movie review at The City Review (Carter B. Horsley)
InsidePulse.com (Robert Sutton)
It's difficult to think of a time when Science Fiction wasn't a viable genre for studios. In this day and age of modern movie effects and big box office, Science Fiction is such a part of the motion picture landscape, it's hard to think of a Hollywood ...read the complete Alien movie review at InsidePulse.com (Robert Sutton)
Words From Here
I saw Alien when it first came out in 1979. I don't remember seeing it... I was six. My dad took me to see it. If I remember correctly, I hid behind my shirt the entire time. There are a lot of frightening elements to the Alien movie, and I'm sure that ...read the complete Alien movie review at Words From Here
The Terror Trap
ALIEN has been described as less a science-fiction horror film, and more a haunted house movie in which the spacecraft takes the place of the traditional house. ...read the complete Alien movie review at The Terror Trap
Film Blather (Eugene Novikov)
Ridley Scott's Alien is a crucial film, a unique meld of genuine science-fiction and hardcore horror. Its method of building suspense -- slow, deliberate, using silence and an intricate soundtrack -- influenced countless imitators and put the film a ...read the complete Alien movie review at Film Blather (Eugene Novikov)
DVD MovieGuide
I first saw Alien early in its theatrical release and it made quite a strong impression on me. No, it didn't freak me out or anything; although Alien can be scary, it's more of a "fun ride" scary than a nightmare-inducing vehicle. It simply offered ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVD MovieGuide
British Horror Films (Chris Wood)
Parodied to the point of boredom (for example, see Kenny Everett’s take on the breakfast scene in Bloodbath At The House Of Death, or to bring it a bit more up to date, the rather brilliantly done Nik Naks ad), for the jaded palates of a 21st century ...read the complete Alien movie review at British Horror Films (Chris Wood)
Harvey S. Karten
What Ridley Scott has successfully created in his second feature, two years after "The Duellists," was atmosphere. The film starts slowly, like Stanley Kubrick's "2001," introducing its largest character, the ship "Nostromo," before honing in on the crew. ...read the complete Alien movie review at Harvey S. Karten
The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
Though the film is completely engaging and one of the best of its genre, I still have issues with the ending, which I think is anti-climactic. The stalemate created between Ripley and the monster ought to have been resolved in a more interesting or ...read the complete Alien movie review at The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
The Dual Lens (Davin Lagerroos)
Alien offers a quite different vision of the future than a lot of the popular science fiction films and TV that came before it. Maybe as outgrowth of the trend in the 70s towards gritty realism, the future life in Alien seems dull and not much different ...read the complete Alien movie review at The Dual Lens (Davin Lagerroos)
Salon.com (Andrew O'Hehir)
Unlike its increasingly baroque series of sequels, Ridley Scott's original 1979 "Alien" is a film about human loneliness amid the emptiness and amorality of creation. It's a cynical '70s-leftist vision of the future in which none of the problems ...read the complete Alien movie review at Salon.com (Andrew O'Hehir)
The Z Review
Alien Movie Review:
This is the product of another of my (in)famous DVD swaping missions. I drew up a DVD wish list yesterday and my brother recommended Aliens, so you could imagine my joy when I went to Woolworths and got £40 for the ...read the complete Alien movie review at The Z Review
FilmHobbit.com - The Director's Cut
You know there is something to be said for perfection; seeing a perfect movie unfold as crafted by a master filmmaker; full of images both beautiful and horrifying all at once, coupled with performances that seem real. Just there up on the screen, for no ...read the complete Alien movie review at FilmHobbit.com - The Director's Cut
Sci-Fi Weekly
Setting down on LV-426, a rocky planet with a hostile environment, the Nostromo sustains some damage, disabling it for the time being. While the bickering mechanics Parker (Yaphet Kotto) and Brett (Stanton) begin repairs, mission commander Dallas ...read the complete Alien movie review at Sci-Fi Weekly
Appreciating Great Trash
Aliens remains famous for its titular, H.R. Giger – designed nasty and, of course, for the scene involving the absolute worst indigestion imaginable, one of the greatest examples of rapidly escalating tension in cinema. But the real draw to the movie, ...read the complete Alien movie review at Appreciating Great Trash
DVDork.com (Chris McGeachy)
What the hell is a quadrilogy? Okay, I understand the concept – but let’s face it, “quadrilogy” isn’t even a real word! I guess my problems with the name come out of nitpicking and envy mostly. I mean what guy in their right mind wouldn’t ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVDork.com (Chris McGeachy)
Denver Rocky Mountain News (Robert Denerstein)
Rotten Tomatoes - Reviews from the Nation's Top Critics
DVDTown.com (John J. Puccio)
...more than a hair-raising sci-fi thriller...one of the best horror films ever made. ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVDTown.com (John J. Puccio)
The Film Asylum
The action kicks in towards the end of the film when the remaining crew decide to abandon ship but it's not traditional action and never increases the heart rate as much as the tension does. ...read the complete Alien movie review at The Film Asylum
Popcorn Pictures Review
It's not hard to see why Alien is such a landmark horror/sci-fi film. Look at the major horror/sci-fi flicks of the last 10 years and the majority of them could be billed as Alien clones. The plot has been recycled so much it's hard to sit down and see ...read the complete Alien movie review at Popcorn Pictures Review
Home Theater Info (Doug MacLean)
Tales of terror in the dark has been a staple of storytelling since man first sat around the glowing embers of a dying fire, trying to scare each other. There are a few themes that make for a classic horror story. Paramount among these is ...read the complete Alien movie review at Home Theater Info (Doug MacLean)
DVD MovieGuide
I first saw Alien early on in its theatrical release and it made quite a strong impression on me. No, it didn't freak me out or anything; although Alien can be scary, it's more of a "fun ride" scary than a nightmare-inducing vehicle. It simply ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVD MovieGuide
IndependentCritics.com (Jacob Hall)
Few films embody terror quite like "Alien." Few film have ever been able to horrify entire audiences like "Alien." Few films have ever dared to be as original as ...read the complete Alien movie review at IndependentCritics.com (Jacob Hall)
ninth symphony films
In 1979, Alien put director Ridley Scott on the map. And now, in 2003, he's convinced Twentieth Century Fox, the copyright holder on his film, to re-release his "director's cut" theatrically, allowing an entirely new generation of movie-goers to ...read the complete Alien movie review at ninth symphony films
DVD Review e-zine
When "Alien" hit theaters in 1979, science fiction movies had mostly been seen as flying saucer films with goofy looking aliens who abduct good-looking models to their ships to do whatever. At the other end of the spectrum there were space operas that ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVD Review e-zine
At-A-Glance Film Reviews
With Alien, director Ridley Scott came up with one of the most terrifying films ever made. A classic in two genres, science fiction and horror, this is a tense, frightening cinematic experience you'll never forget. As is all too often forgotten with ...read the complete Alien movie review at At-A-Glance Film Reviews
HorrorWatch
The story is about a small crew of a remote mining craft are on their way home and get a distress signal, they check it out and accidentally bring the most dangerous life-form in the galaxy back on board with them. Bad things ensue. ...read the complete Alien movie review at HorrorWatch
Entertainment Zone Review (Jay Woelfel)
Director Ridley Scott joins himself and other filmmakers in the not always great trend of recutting their “classic” films and getting them rereleased theatrically to be seen again or for the first time on the big screen. This had become a rare ...read the complete Alien movie review at Entertainment Zone Review (Jay Woelfel)
UpcomingDiscs.com (Gino Sassani)
"In space no one can hear you scream" was the slogan that drew a conglomerate of horror and science fiction fans to theatres in 1979. Was it horror or sci-fi? Alien turned out to be a rare cross-genre film that managed to satisfy both audiences. Ridley ...read the complete Alien movie review at UpcomingDiscs.com (Gino Sassani)
Not Coming to a Theater Near You (Chiranjit Goswami)
Deep in the fringes of space, the crew of a commercial mining spaceship named the Nostromo are awakened from their lengthy hibernation by a transmission from an unknown source. Contractually obligated to investigate any signs of life, the crew lands on ...read the complete Alien movie review at Not Coming to a Theater Near You (Chiranjit Goswami)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The original "Alien" (1979) was a high-falutin' riff on a low-brow oldie: the creature-on-the-loose flick. Moving the action from a swamp to a spacecraft was the master stroke of screenwriter (and native St. Louisan) Dan O'Bannon. But it was director ...read the complete Alien movie review at St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The Dual Lens (Todd Wardrope)
The Swiss artist H.R. Giger likes to consider his art as representing the deepest and most conflicted portions of modern humanities Freudian desires and fears. In his work, he combines the satanic, the magical, the mechanical and the erotic in order to ...read the complete Alien movie review at The Dual Lens (Todd Wardrope)
SF, Horror and Fantasy Film Review
Alien3 was a project that
was aptly described as being from development hell. In its six years of
on again/off again production history, Alien3 started to look like a creative
revolving door. Connected at various points were ...read the complete Alien movie review at SF, Horror and Fantasy Film Review
Jigsaw Lounge (Neil Young)
Scott’s Blade Runner was the original director’s cut, and still the most famous. Success of Exorcist re-cut sent studios in search of other 70s horrors to disinter, especially those with famous â€missing scenes’ – Alien fits the bill: well-known ...read the complete Alien movie review at Jigsaw Lounge (Neil Young)
mazzyboi's movie page (Angelo Aquino)
The film has pretty much a very simple plot. Sigourney Weaver plays Ripley, one of the crew members aboard a space freighter. They get a distress signal from an unknown planet, and the crew decides to investigate. They trace the signal back to a ...read the complete Alien movie review at mazzyboi's movie page (Angelo Aquino)
DVD Verdict (Dan Mancini)
Pardon the pun, but this new edition of Alien is killer. If you love the film but didn't want to take the expensive plunge into the Quadrilogy box set, this two-disc set is a must-own. ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVD Verdict (Dan Mancini)
The Greatest Films (Tim Dirks)
Alien (1979) is 20th Century Fox's extremely suspenseful, space science-fiction horror film about a menacing, unstoppable, carnivorous, stowaway, hermaphroditic Demon beast. The grisly, claustrophobic, action-oriented film without a lot of dialogue ...read the complete Alien movie review at The Greatest Films (Tim Dirks)
Ted Prigge
"Alien" takes place almost entirely on a large mining ship returning to earth. It's a dark ship, filled with numerous crevices and ducts, and seems almost inhuman. There are seven people in hibernation for the journey home: Dallas (Tom Skerritt), the ...read the complete Alien movie review at Ted Prigge
Salon (Max Garrone)
Some call Ridley Scott a hack. It's much too cruel a moniker for someone who made two of the strongest visual landmarks in contemporary cinema, "Alien" and "Blade Runner." Not that Scott makes terribly nuanced films; he excels at spectacle. On the ...read the complete Alien movie review at Salon (Max Garrone)
Boston Globe
"The perfect organism," the science officer coolly calls the beast stalking his spaceship. "Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility -- I admire its purity." Ash (Ian Holm) could be speaking of the movie that surrounds him. Ridley ...read the complete Alien movie review at Boston Globe
CountingDown.com (Max Colston)
A group of scientists aboard a spaceship heading back towards earth intercepts an SOS signal coming from a desolate planet. Unfortunately, they're obligated to investigate. After a rough and scary landing, three of the crew members go to investigate the ...read the complete Alien movie review at CountingDown.com (Max Colston)
Future Movies (Adrian Mackinder)
On it’s return to Earth, commercial towing vehicle Nostromo intercepts an SOS signal from a remote planet and the beleaguered crew are under contractual obligation to investigate. Three crewmembers leave the ship to explore the area. At the source of ...read the complete Alien movie review at Future Movies (Adrian Mackinder)
Jam! Movies
Like so many of the great terror classics before it, Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi chiller Alien has become a museum piece.
It's mesmerizing to watch it unfold because it is so well crafted but it is no longer ...read the complete Alien movie review at Jam! Movies
Fulvue Drive-in
It is very hard to have a film hold up and survive in the Horror and/or Science Fiction genres, especially with advances in effects (if not in story), but Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979) actually gets better with age because of its advances in story and ...read the complete Alien movie review at Fulvue Drive-in
Movie Gazette (Gary Panton)
It's always worth reminding yourself during a watching of 'Alien' that not all extra-terrestrials are quite as nasty as this one. When things start to get a bit scary, simply take a few deep breaths and think of E.T. Or Alf. Or Mork. Well, maybe not ...read the complete Alien movie review at Movie Gazette (Gary Panton)
Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Although ahead of its time, Alien is also horror from the old school, never letting you really get a good glimpse of the object of everyone's fears until the time is just right. By this time, we are so mortified by what it can do that true terror is ...read the complete Alien movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Entertainmentopia (Erich Becker)
If it isn't remakes of 20 year old films then companies are re-releasing 20 year old films with new footage in order to get some of that hard earned cash, but there are certain films, works of art, that a re-release is entirely warranted and this past ...read the complete Alien movie review at Entertainmentopia (Erich Becker)
In Film Australia
This movie is a work of art. It combines extremely realistic situations, with realistic solutions. There's none of the 'pathological communicating' in this movie, just a full on, suspense, tremble-in-your-seat thriller about seven ordinary people ...read the complete Alien movie review at In Film Australia
filmcritic.com (Pete Croatto)
The good news: Sigourney Weaver’s famous underwear shot, which probably launched millions of now middle-aged men straight into puberty and beyond, has survived Ridley Scott’s keen eye in his digitally remastered 2003 director’s cut of ...read the complete Alien movie review at filmcritic.com (Pete Croatto)
Reel Film Reviews (David Nusair)
The first thing one notices while watching Alien is the lack of teenagers among the film's cast. Nowadays, the idea of making a horror film that isn't peppered with nubile teens is virtually anathema among Hollywood creative types. Alien is about ...read the complete Alien movie review at Reel Film Reviews (David Nusair)
MovieWeb (Christopher Monfette)
Fine things age finely, or so I'm told, and appreciate with each experience. Like a slow sip from the edge of an antiquated merlot, there is a great deal of subtlety to be found in well-made things, layers beneath layers of tone and texture and the ...read the complete Alien movie review at MovieWeb (Christopher Monfette)
DVDFanatic - Alien Quadrilogy (Sean Chavel)
The definitive horror franchise of the Alien series has been given a lavish, deluxe new treatment in the new Alien Quadrilogy edition. The package comes with a total of 9 discs, with two versions of each movie plus an additional supplemental disc that ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVDFanatic - Alien Quadrilogy (Sean Chavel)
BeyondHollywood.com
The tagline for Ridley Scott's 1979 "Alien" is, "In space no one can hear you scream," and is it ever appropriate. "Alien" is a claustrophobic film that makes you feel just as isolated, desperate, and lonely as its characters. The look, the ...read the complete Alien movie review at BeyondHollywood.com
Haro Online
Nearly twenty-five years after its initial 1979 release, Alien returns to scare a new generation of filmgoers with Alien: The Director's Cut. Was a director's cut really necessary? No. This new version adds very little to the original, which is ...read the complete Alien movie review at Haro Online
The MovieHamlet (Stefan Hedmark)
The most famous sequence of this horrifying classic takes place about thirty minutes into the story. Everyone is relaxing after a somewhat gut-wrenching experience. They’re all enjoying breakfast together and spirits are high. Suddenly, one of them is ...read the complete Alien movie review at The MovieHamlet (Stefan Hedmark)
Blogcritics - DVD review (Matt Paprocki)
I have never viewed an Alien movie before. Well, at least up until the release of this massive 9-disc behemoth. I've seen clips, heard the praises, been told to watch them but I never did. Nearly 25 years after the initial release of the first film in ...read the complete Alien movie review at Blogcritics - DVD review (Matt Paprocki)
Boston Herald (David Brudnoy)
New York Post (Lou Lumenick)
Chicago Tribune
"Alien: The Director's Cut" is an old nightmare, made shiny new. It's a scream from another era that still echoes around us. Director Ridley Scott's new, digitally refurbished and re-edited version of his 1979 pop science-fiction hit - the subzero ...read the complete Alien movie review at Chicago Tribune
MovieFreak.com (Sara M. Fetters)
There is nothing like an enduring classic to paint perfectly everything that is wrong with scary movies today in Hollywood. Even better, how refreshing it is to see said classic back in theaters right where it belongs, its pure, simple claustrophobic ...read the complete Alien movie review at MovieFreak.com (Sara M. Fetters)
Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)
When Ridley Scott's Alien was first released in the summer of 1979, I was too young to see it, but it still held a certain fascination for me. I remember that scary image of the egg with unholy green light creeping out through a crack and the tagline -- ...read the complete Alien movie review at Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)
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