Alien (1979)
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Cast
as Ripley
as Dallas
as Lambert
as Brett
as Kane
as Ash
as Mother
as Parker

as Alien
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Critic Reviews for Alien
All Critics (104) | Top Critics (23) | Fresh (101) | Rotten (3) | DVD (13)
This is a screamingly spooky sci-fi tale with more than a few echoes of "The Thing" but echoes which enhance rather than detract.

Seen again a quarter-century later, we marvel at how the filmmaker generates so much tension and sweat with a bare minimum of moving parts.

The limited strengths of its staple sci-fi horrors always derived from either the offhand organic/ Freudian resonances of its design or the purely (brilliantly) manipulative editing and pacing of its above-average shock quota.
The most startling thing watching Alien again is its pacing. For the first 45 minutes, little happens. It's all slow, exquisite build-up, which makes the second half seem all the more horrific.

It is depressing to watch an expensive, crafty movie that never soars beyond its cold desire to score the big bucks.

The limited strengths of its staple sci-fi horrors always derived from either the offhand organic/ Freudian resonances of its design or the purely (brilliantly) manipulative editing and pacing of its above-average shock quota.

Audience Reviews for Alien
It is a slasher flick...IN SPACE! The visuals are gorgeous, the ship has a slight Kubrick design but with an extra gritty edge. The alien creature is one of the most iconic movie monsters for its unusual buggish look and sliminess. The creature is constantly in the shadows, giving a paranoid sense as to when it will come out and strike. The cast is very strong, Sigourney Weaver makes her character Ripley tough, sympathetic, and believable. This is the definitive sci-fi horror classic.
Super Reviewer
A fantastic blend of sci-fi and horror, incredibly suspenseful and carefully elaborated with a perfect pacing. Scott knows very well how to slowly build a disquieting tension and elevate it to the point of nerve-wracking, and this film is a genuinely scary modern classic.
Super Reviewer
A classic.
Super Reviewer
Alien Quotes
Parker: | Why the hell don't you guys just freeze him? |
Parker: | If we ain't out of here in ten minutes, we won't need no rocket to fly through space! |
Brett: | Right. |
Parker: | I ain't drawing no straws, I'm for killing that goddamn thing right now. |
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